‘Prognosis good’ for man harmed in fire

A man pulled from a fire at his home Friday afternoon remained in the hospital Tuesday, but for reasons unrelated to the fire, Deputy Clark County Fire Marshal Susan Anderson said.

Firefighters responded to the house at 8507 N.E. 126th Ave., off of Northeast Padden Parkway near Heritage High School, after a neighbor reported the fire around 3:15 p.m. Friday.

Anderson said the neighbor saw smoke coming from the home’s front door. The man inside was laying on a sofa nearby, and the neighbor helped the occupant get out. Responding EMTs treated the man for smoke inhalation, and he was taken to a local hospital for observation.

Anderson said that although the man was still in the hospital, “his prognosis is good.”

The man in the house had built a fire in the fireplace, Anderson said.

“It did not appear that the fireplace screen was in place, and it allowed burning embers to escape the firebox and ignite the carpet,” she said.

Although the fire was fairly small, it was large enough to cause smoke damage to the entire house. Anderson’s estimate for the total damage was $8,200 to the structure and about $25,000 in smoke damage to the home’s contents.

The home did not have a working smoke alarm, Anderson said.