South Whidbey house fire claims life of cat

No humans were injured but a kitty perished in a house fire in Clinton on Sunday night.

No humans were injured but a kitty perished in a house fire in Clinton on Sunday night.

Around 9:30 p.m. on May 21, South Whidbey Fire/EMS responded to the blaze at a Helena Street residence, according to Deputy Chief Terry Ney. The home’s occupant noticed smoke coming from the roof and that a door handle was hot to the touch.

The fire department responded with three engines, one aid unit, two command vehicles, and two support vehicles, staffed by a total of 14 personnel.

Ney said the flames were contained in about 10 minutes, and overhaul of the fire took about two hours due to heavy fuel load inside the structure.

No firefighters were injured and no other occupants were inside the home during the fire, although one cat was found deceased inside the structure.

The cause of the blaze is unknown at this time.

Puget Sound Energy was called to the scene and disconnected power due to severe damage to wiring inside the structure.

Deputy Chief Jon Beck said that the house was declared a total loss in the fire report, due to the extensive damage caused by the blaze. Ney said the damage was throughout the interior and originated in the kitchen.