There was a fire in an apartment near 50th and 212th this afternoon. Snohomish County Fire District reports that there was nearly $60,000 in damage and that the fire was put out by a quick thinking neighbor:

A neighbor used fire extinguishers to put out a kitchen fire that caused more than $60,000 damage to a Mountlake Terrace apartment this afternoon.

Neighbors reported the fire at 12:27 p.m. in a second-floor unit at The Village Apartments in the 5000 block of 212th St. SW. The occupants – a couple and one child — were away at the time of the fire and no one was injured.

Neighbor David Rossi Jr. told firefighters he heard a popping noise and saw flames coming from the stovetop in a second-floor apartment in the building across the courtyard from where he lives. “Mr. Rossi acted quickly. He made sure everyone was out of the building and discharged five or six fire extinguishers to put the fire out,” said Leslie Hynes, public information officer for Snohomish County Fire District 1, which provides fire service in the City of Mountlake Terrace.

“Mr. Rossi did a great job in a stressful situation. He made sure everyone was safe and his efforts also limited the amount of property damage from the fire,” she said.

When firefighters arrived smoke was coming from the eaves of the apartment. “The unit was filled with smoke all the way to the floor, but the fire was out. Firefighters checked to make sure flames had not extended into the attic or walls. They then used fans to clear the smoke from the apartment and attic,” Hynes said.

Investigators determined the fire was accidental and started on the stovetop. Fire damage was limited to the kitchen and adjacent hall, but there was heavy smoke damage throughout the apartment and the unit is uninhabitable. The residents did not have insurance. Red Cross was contacted to provide assistance.

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