EVERETT, WA – Just after 5 a.m., firefighters were called to a residential fire in the 5100 block of South 4th Avenue, where two firefighters suffered minor injuries, a laceration to the hand and an ankle injury.

At 5:08 a.m., 9-1-1 dispatch received several reports of a house fire in the 5100 block of South 4th Avenue. Fire crews could see smoke showing as they arrived in the area and found a working house fire. The homeowner, who was awoken by the smoke, and a friend self-evacuated from the home without injury prior to the fire department arriving. The displaced occupants declined any assistance with sheltering.

The fire was found towards the back of the house near the kitchen and bathroom. As an initial search of the home was conducted, crews found the stairs leading to the second floor compromised by the fire, preventing a primary search of that floor and making it difficult to extinguish in that area as it was only able to be fought from the ground level. Additionally, the fire self-vented through the roof near the chimney, causing concerns of a roof and/ or chimney collapse. The fire also burned the roof joists.

Due to structural and firefighter safety concerns, all personnel were evacuated from the inside of the residence and the fire was fought from an exterior position. The Everett Fire Department remains on scene to address any hot spots.

Fire inspectors are also on scene and they have conducted the majority of the investigation from the exterior of the home. Currently, conditions inside the structure are deemed unsafe for any personnel to enter. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.