Four people were displaced Thursday after a fire spread through a duplex south of Everett.
The fire started just after 2 p.m. along 107th Street SW, near Everett Mall Way. Oil that was heating on the stovetop apparently ignited, said Leslie Hynes, a spokeswoman for Snohomish County Fire District 1.
“When we got here, one side of the duplex was engulfed in flames,” she said. “The tree in front was on fire and the car in front was on fire. The fire spread into the attic above the other side of the duplex.”
One of the units is likely a total loss, she said. The other unit had significant damage from the firefighting efforts. The two-story building sustained about $180,000 in damage altogether. The car also was destroyed.
A man and his adult son lived in the unit where the fire started, and a married couple with two cats occupied the other. One cat, Romeo, was found safe and was reunited with his family. The second cat remained missing but firefighters were hopeful that he escaped, Hynes said.
Both parties were renters without insurance. The American Red Cross was asked to provide assistance.