For the Reporter

An unoccpied home in the 20100 block of 13 Avenue South in SeaTac has burned for the second time in a month.

A Highline Public Schools’ bus driver first reported the fire at 3 p.m. today as heavy black smoke coming from the single-story house.

Because the fire had reached into the attic, firefighters cut holes in the roof to release the pressure and heat. Normally, this type of “vertical ventilation” is done while crews inside the building pull down the ceiling to access the seat of the fire from below the roof openings in a coordinated fire attack.

Unfortunately, the house, like many near SeaTac Airport, had plywood as a sound deadening material in the ceiling. This forced firefighters to change their tactics and use a “piercing” nozzle to reach the fire from the roof. This nozzle shoots a wide spray of water and was used to access hard to reach areas of the attic space.

Although firefighters were told there was no one in the house, two searches were conducted to confirm that. Apparently the house had not been reoccupied since the last fire on Feb. 10 and was caused by candles being placed too close to combustibles.

Today’s fire is under investigation and does not appear to be related to the first fire.

In addition to the Kent Fire Department Regional Fire Authority, firefighters from South King Fire and Rescue, the Burien Fire Department, and the Tukwila Fire Department responded.