JOYCE — A man has his dog to thank for saving his life.
The man, unidentified by fire officials, was staying in a small apartment in the back of a garage and escaped without harm after his dog woke him up before the building was fully engulfed in flames, said James Johnson, chief of Fire District No. 4.
The fast-moving blaze early Monday morning destroyed the garage near state Highway 112 and Oxenford Road, west of Port Angeles.
The fire sent flames 40 feet into the air, witnesses told fire officials.
Two cars inside ignited and burned to their hubcaps.
The fire shut Highway 112 for about a half hour.
Johnson estimated about $150,000 in damage was done to the building, its contents and the cars.
Johnson declined to release the name of the man or the owners of the home at 87 Oxenford Road, where the garage and cars were located.
The fire started at about 3:30 a.m.
“We were advised as we were en route that the structure was fully involved, and there were explosions going on,” Johnson said.
“The dispatchers said they could hear the explosions over the phone.”
Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire started in a wood-burning stove, Johnson said.
Arson is not suspected, but the incident is under investigation.
The garage and home are on a long narrow dirt driveway that branches off of Oxenford Road and runs parallel to Highway 112.
“We had to approach the fire from the highway, so we closed it off for a little while,” Johnson said.
“The building was so close to the road, and the flames were about 40 feet in the air, so not only were we making our attack from the road, but we didn’t want anyone in danger on the road.”
The road was closed for about 30 minutes as fire fighters hauled water from the nearest hydrant — about three-quarters of a mile away — Johnson said.
“In rural areas, we always have the same trouble” accessing water, Johnson said.
About 14 firefighters and two engines in the all-volunteer fire unit were on the scene for about four hours until the fire was put out.
