Two women found dead inside scorched Everett home
EVERETT, Wash. - Authorities say two women were found dead Saturday morning after flames ripped through a home in Everett.
Fire officials say the fire broke out around 6 a.m. in the 5800 block of Wetmore Avenue.
Flames had fully engulfed the home by the time firefighters arrived. They contained the fire in 30 minutes.
Neighbor Dennis Hendry and his wife watched everything from the second story of their home just a few doors away.
"The flames were in the trees. I can't believe the trees didn't start burning," said Hendry. He said the flames were 30 to 40 feet high.
Two adults were found dead inside. Initially, they were identified as a man and woman, but Saturday afternoon were identified as two adult women. Relatives tell us it was a 92-year-old woman and her 67-year-old daughter.
"The older gal who lived there...she used to be an avid golfer, athletic," said Hendry.
Hendry said the woman's grandson often stayed with the woman and helped care for her because she needed help getting around. The grandson was not at the home during the fire.
The Medical Examiner's Office will determine how the two women died.
The fire had begun to spread to a neighboring home, but crews were able stop the fire from spreading more. The second house had little damage, officials said.
A cause of the fire has not been determined, but it is not considered suspicious, officials said. Investigators believe it started in the family room in the back of the home.
Everett Fire Marshall LeRoy McNulty said the home did not have a smoke alarm to alert them of the fire. He said it may have helped save the two women.
"We think this fire started about an hour before we were told about it. So it was a slow-growing fire. The smoke overcame both victims. Neither one of them was able to get out of there," said McNulty.
Everett Fire Department offers free smoke alarms for low-income and elderly residents. Contact the fire department for more information.
