Olympia firefighters respond to kitchen, encampment fires early Thursday
One man was sent to the hospital with smoke inhalation after a kitchen fire on Olympia’s west side Thursday — one of two blazes Olympia Fire Department extinguished in the early morning hours.
Just after 1 a.m. Thursday, crews responded to a home on the 1400 block of Kaiser Road, according to Battalion Chief J.D. Young. They found smoke coming from the house and quickly put out the kitchen fire, which had extended to the attic.
The man living there woke up to dark smoke in his house, Young said, and saw a glow coming from his kitchen. He used a garden hose to put out some of the fire then got himself and two dogs out of the house and called 911.
The fire underscores the importance of a working smoke detector, Young said — he didn’t know if the smoke detector in this home had been working previously, but it wasn’t working when crews arrived. People should check batteries and replace old detectors, he said. He also said it’s important to sleep with the bedroom door closed.
The man was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia with non-life threatening smoke inhalation, according to Young. The cause of the fire will be investigated. Young estimated the damage amounts to at least $30,000 to $40,000.
Olympia had assistance from McLane Black Lake Fire Department, and the fire was out by about 3:30 a.m.
About two hours later, crews responded to a report of a brush fire near the 3000 block of Martin Way, behind the Bark Store. Firefighters arrived, saw a column of smoke and called for an additional engine and command support, according to Young.
It took some time to find access to the fire, which was at an encampment in a low-lying area behind trees. The fire spanned an area of roughly 20-by-20 feet, and had 20-foot flames. These sorts of fires are hazardous to approach, Young said, because of rugged terrain and the difficulty of determining what sort of materials might be burning, which could include propane cylinders.
Crews quickly extinguished most of the fire, Young said, and people at the encampment reported that everyone got out safely. Crews left about 7 a.m.
Olympia Police Department shut down one eastbound lane of Martin Way during the response, according to Young.
This story was originally published December 31, 2020 at 8:38 AM.
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