QUILCENE — A woman is unharmed but homeless after a house fire on Friday morning that stopped traffic on U.S. Highway 101 for more than two hours.
Moe Moser, a volunteer with Quilcene’s fire district, said that the lone occupant, Cathy Hollingsworth, was not hurt in the 9 a.m. blaze.
“She’s fine. She did very well to get out of the house,” Moser said, adding that he had referred her to the Olympic Peninsula Chapter of the American Red Cross.
“They will be taking care of shelter for the time being,” he said.
The fire just north of Quilcene forcing traffic to stop as fire trucks parked in the middle of the highway, said Keppie Keplinger, East Jefferson Fire-Rescue spokeswoman.
Traffic was moving in both lanes by noon.
The cause of the fire in the house at 29203 Highway 101, near Leland Cut Off Road and Lakeness Road, was undetermined on Friday.
The blaze appeared to start on the first level and spread to the second story of the house, Keplinger said.
“Estimated damage to the home is unknown at this time, but there was extensive damage to the first and second floors,” she said.
Hollingsworth discovered the fire and left the building before it spread from one room, the fire department reported.
Helping to fight the fire were personnel from East Jefferson Fire-Rescue, District 2 in Quilcene, District 3 in Port Ludlow, District 4 in Brinnon and District 5 in Gardiner.
East Jefferson Fire-Rescue Assistant Chief Gordon Pomeroy served as incident commander. Bob Wilson, the fire chief for Quilcene and Gardiner fire districts, is currently on extended medical leave from his position.
“First arriving units from Quilcene and Brinnon did an excellent job of confining the fire until more units arrived,” Pomeroy said of the volunteer fire districts.
“[This] considering the small number of resources that were available at the time of their arrival,”
State Patrol troopers assisted with traffic control on Highway 101 until it was reopened.
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com
