Four residents safely escaped after a smoke alarm alerted them to a fire at their Mountlake Terrace home Wednesday night.

The fire was reported around 11:30 p.m. at a two-story home in the 23300 block of LaPierre Drive. “The smoke alarm sounded and the residents — two women and two children — safely exited the house and called 911,” said Leslie Hynes, public information officer for Snohomish County Fire District 1, which provides fire service in the City of Mountlake Terrace.

Flames were coming from the roof when firefighters arrived. Firefighters from Fire District 1 and Lynnwood responded. They had the fire under control within 20 minutes. No one was injured. Firefighters rescued two cats.

A fire investigator determined the fire started in the attic in the area of a bathroom fan. The cause appeared to be electrical. Damage is estimated at $150,000.

The fire was contained to the attic. Firefighters had to pull down ceiling in second-floor rooms to get to the flames.

Fire and smoke damage left the home uninhabitable. The homeowner has insurance. The residents plan to stay with family members.

“Without smoke alarms to wake and alert the residents, the outcome of this fire could’ve been much more tragic and maybe even deadly,” Hynes said.
Firefighters offered these smoke alarm tips:
· Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.
· Replace batteries in smoke alarms twice a year. An easy way to remember is to change the batteries when you change your clocks to or from Daylight Savings Time. If an alarm “chirps,” warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.
Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or sooner if they do not respond properly.