The cause of an April 26 fire that killed a woman and heavily damaged a double-wide mobile home has been ruled accidental and the woman’s cause of death was listed as due to smoke inhalation Tuesday.
The fire was ruled to have been started by an electrical malfunction.
Two people were sent to local hospitals at 3:40 a.m. April 26 following a Maple Valley house fire in the 18000 block of 196 Avenue Southeast.
The couple awoke to strange sounds within the house to discover that there was a fire in their double-wide mobile home.
The husband escaped out a window but the wife was unable to, for unknown reasons. Once outside, the man used his vehicle’s horn to alert a neighbor, who called 911. That neighbor also reported that there was someone still inside the home.
Firefighters from the Maple Valley Fire and Life Safety, Kent Fire Department Regional Fire Authority, and the Renton Fire Department were dispatched to the call. King County Medic One, King County Sheriff’s deputies, and the Zone 3 Fire Explorers also responded.
The first firefighters on scene immediately entered the building once they received information that someone was possibly inside. The woman was found and removed, where she was treated by firefighters and King County paramedics. Her current condition is unknown and no information will be released on the nature of her injuries.
The fire took approximately one-half hour to fully extinguish and badly damaged a large portion of the mobile home. It is not unusual for mobile homes to sustain extensive damage during a fire due to their relatively lightweight construction.
King County Fire Investigators are currently on scene to determine the cause of the fire. More information will be released when it becomes available.
It is unknown whether there were working smoke alarms in the home.
