Tenant dies in Bellevue apartment fire

Discarded smoking materials to blame

Investigators have determined that discarded smoking materials caused the Bellevue apartment fire on Friday morning that killed one tenant.

Bellevue firefighters were dispatched to the fire at 5:41 a.m. in the 14500 block of SE 24th St. in south Bellevue. Working smoke alarms in the victim’s apartment had alerted neighboring residents, who called 911.

Firefighters extinguished the first floor apartment fire, and immediately initiated CPR on the adult victim in the apartment’s bedroom, according to the Bellevue Fire Department.

The victim ultimately succumbed to injuries and died on Sunday.

The fire, which was caused by smoking materials that ignited common household combustible materials, caused approximately $10,000 in damages.

Although the fire was relatively small, the incident demonstrates how any fire can quickly produce enough smoke and toxic gases to be deadly, noted fire officials. The National Fire Protection Agency statistics show that smoking materials are the leading cause of home fire fatalities.

The Bellevue Fire Department urges anyone who smokes to be cautious and use smoking materials safely. For safety tips regarding smoking materials, visit: http://www.nfpa.org//-/media/Files/Public-Education/Resources/Safety-tip-sheets/SmokingSafety.pdf.