IRONDALE — Investigators are trying to determine the cause of a Monday morning fire that destroyed an Irondale house and left a mother and two children homeless.
A smoke detector alerted sleeping residents, allowing them to escape unharmed, said Chief Chuck Boggs of Jefferson County Fire District No. 1 (Chimacum).
“Otherwise we could have easily had four fatalities,” Boggs added.
Fire crews responded to a call that came around 9:30 a.m. Monday and found the Irondale residence at Ninth and Eugene streets already ablaze.
“We had the fire under control in about four minutes,” Boggs said.
Smoke damage
The fire ruined the front of the building and caused extensive smoke damage to the rest of the house, which now needs to be rebuilt, Boggs said.
No damage estimate has been given.
The house, consisting of single story in the front and two stories in the back, housed Michelle Talley and her two children, as well as another person and a visitor.
