No injuries in early morning house fire in Lake Tapps Estates

Firefighters from East Pierce Fire and Rescue responded early Friday to a house fire in the Lake Tapps Estates near the north end of Lake Tapps.

No one was home at the time of the fire and there were no injuries.

According to Chief Dan Packer, the first call came in at 7:30 a.m., after the family had left for the day. Firefighters arrived on scene six minutes later, but the house was already engulfed in flames.

“It was fully involved on their arrival,” Packer said.

Packer said firefighters began to battle the blaze by taking a defensive tact, using a lot of water on the outside of the house before switching to the offensive maneuver of smaller hoses inside to finish the job.

Packer said the damage to the house was “substantial” and he expects it to be declared a total loss.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Though no one was home at the time of the fire, the speed with which the fire spread is an indication of the necessity of smoke detectors.

“They were fortunate no one was home,” said Public Education Specialist Dina Sutherland, “but because this fire spread so rapidly, smoke alarms would be crucial.”

Sutherland said seconds count in a fire and an early warning can save lives. Sutherland also recommended that families have a home escape plan and practice it.

For home fire prevention tips or to take advantage of East Pierce’s free, 10-year battery life smoke alarm program with free installation (including high decibel and strobe detectors for the hearing impaired) call 253-863-1800.

Brian Beckley can be reached at 253-826-3260, ext. 5052, or brian.beckley@sumnerreporter.com.