An overheated fan caught fire and caused an estimated $75,000 damage Friday morning to a house in the 25100 block of 170th Way Southeast, just east of Mattson Middle School.
The house is near the border of unincorporated Kent and the city of Covington.
At about 7:30 a.m., the family noticed a smell of smoke and the lights in the home flickering, according to a Kent Fire Department media release. They found thick, dark smoke in one of the upstairs bedrooms when they opened the door.
The family of four immediately evacuated the home and called 911. There were no injuries. Family members said the smoke detectors were not working.
Kent firefighters arrived and reported thick, dark smoke in the home and pulled fire hoses into the house. They quickly extinguished the fire in the upstairs bedroom. They also checked for any hidden fire in the upstairs walls and attic space but did not find any smoke or fire.
Fire investigators determined the cause of the fire to be an overheated fan that caught fire and ignited other nearby combustibles.
The family will stay locally with relatives.
The Kent Fire Department reminds residents to change the batteries in smoke alarms twice a year when you change clocks in the spring and fall. You also should test the smoke detectors by pressing the test button once a month. The smoke detector should beep when the button is pushed.
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