PORT ANGELES — The resident of an upstairs loft had to climb onto a neighboring roof to escape an early morning fire Monday that began in the Gales Addition business below.
Ernest Brown Jr. was sleeping in the loft of A&N Upholstery, 124 N. Gales St., when he was awakened by the smell of smoke at about
3:40 a.m., said Capt. Dan Huff of Clallam County Fire District No. 2.
“He had no way out once the fire started,” Huff said.
But Brown found some kind of opening and climbed out onto the roof, then onto the adjoining roof of another business, Huff said.
Firefighters the helped Brown down from his perch.
Brown was taken to Olympic Medical Center as a precaution and was discharged, according to an OMC spokesperson.
The fire, which began in the upholstery shop, caused about $150,000 in damage, Huff said.
“The upholstery shop was a total loss, with the adjacent storage unit heavily damaged,” he said.
Five fire trucks from Fire District 2 and from the Port Angeles Fire Department responded to the blaze.
