A West Lake Hills home was damaged by fire Saturday morning, according to the Bellevue Fire Department.
The fire was reported before 10 a.m. when the homeowner of a split-level, two story home was awoken in an upstairs bedroom by the fire alarm and found smoke coming from the downstairs living area, said Bellevue Fire Department spokesman Troy Donlin.
The 30-year-old man was unable to call 9-1-1, so he left the home to call, he said.
Donlin said that within 6 minutes, Bellevue firefighters arrived to find flames coming from the first and second stories of the house. Firefighters fought the fire from the exterior, knocking down the majority of the flames. They were then able to attack the fire on both the first and second stories using multiple lines as holes were cut in the roof to let the hot gases out of the attic, according to Donlin's press release.
Firefighters from Bellevue and Redmond extinguished the flames in about 20 minutes, Donlin said. Scanner reports placed in the 200 block of 145th Place NE.
Donlin said that investigators continue to look into the cause of the blaze.
The resident bought the home two months ago and has homeowner’s insurance, according to Donlin. He will be staying with friends in the area. The home is a total loss with a damage estimate of $300,000, Donlin said.
