Gig Harbor firefighters battle garage fire, saving chickens in the process
GIG HARBOR, Wash. - Firefighters in Gig Harbor battled a brushfire that spread to a garage and caused extensive property damage Saturday night, leading to a garage fire.
At about 10 p.m., firefighters with Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One responded to reports of a fire in the 600 block of 37th Avenue NW.
"I saw the glow and thought at first my neighbors were just working in the yard," said neighbor Crystal Bentley. "I quickly realized it was a fire, and it was spreading. It was scary, and I was concerned about my neighbor's house and I immediately called 911."
On their way to the location, first responders told FOX 13 Seattle they received additional information about possible explosions and a shed on fire.
"We heard two big booms," said neighbor Sharron Erickson. "The first one shook our house. We went out on our back portch and that’s when we saw the smoke and flames."
"We immediately grabbed a fire extinguisher and jumped in the car to head over to the property just in case fire crews weren’t there yet," said Shannon’s husband Ken.
When they arrived, firefighters were already on scene responding found a fully engulfed garage and several outbuildings on fire.
"Those explosions appeared to come from fuel sources," said Battalion Chief Nick Langlow.
Firefighters worked to put out the fire, saving a nearby RV and main house from catching fire.
"A chicken coop did catch fire," said Langlow. "We were able to return six of them to extended family members. The good news here is that there were no injuries to civilians or firefighters."
FOX 13 Seattle has learned the homeowners are currently on vacation out of state and are in route home to assess the damage.
"This isn’t the welcome home they deserve," said neighbor Della Slosar. "They’re such good people. They do so much for the neighborhood. We want them to know they have our support in whatever they need moving forward."
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