FORKS — A Forks home was destroyed Saturday night after a chimney fire ignited the wall and engulfed the house.
The home, at the corner of First Avenue and Bogachiel Way, was owned by Sam Gaydeski of Forks, who rented it to Hugh Brown, said Deputy Chief Randy Mesenbrink of Clallam County Fire District No. 1.
No one was injured, but the two-story home at 190 First Ave. was destroyed.
Two engines and eight firefighters battled the flames for about 3 ½ hours, Mesenbrink said.
Firefighters arrived just before 10 p.m. and fought the blaze until about 1:20 a.m.
“Unfortunately, the whole structure and its contents were a total loss,” he said.
The fire wasn’t typical for chimney fires, he said.
“We’re not exactly sure how it started, but when the fire got out of the chimney and into the wall and ceiling, it was burning toward the outside,” Mesenbrink said.
“A passer-by saw it first and called the fire department, and the people on the inside didn’t know yet.”
About four people were at the home when the fire started at 9:42 p.m., and all escaped unharmed, he said.
Gaydeski said that the man and his son who lived at the home were temporarily staying with relatives and that they were planning on contacting the Red Cross later.
He was not yet sure what would happen to the remains of the four-bedroom, two-bath home.
“At this point I’m just waiting to hear from the insurance company and see what they say,” Gaydeski said.
“Pretty much the whole inside was gutted.”
He said that he has had the wood-construction home for about 15 years
“For me, the main thing is that everyone got out,” he said.
“I heard that there were some kids playing a game downstairs, but thankfully they all got out fine.
“Nothing in the house or the house itself don’t really matter as long as they are all OK.”
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
