Update: Fourplex Fire Caused by Discarded Cigarette, Officials Say

Update, May 2: A two-alarm fire that caused significant damage to a Redmond fourplex on Thursday was caused by a discarded cigarette, according to Redmond Deputy Fire Marshal Stan Noble.

The fire started in a “small plastic or plastic-like garbage can” on an exterior deck next to the building, Noble said. The heat from the fire caused signifcant structural damange to the building's roof and rafters, Noble said, in addition to several holes that firefighters cut into the roof to release heat from the blaze.

Noble said he is not sure when residents will be able to move back in to the fourplex but estimated overall damage to the building is around $300,000, not including personal loss inside each unit.

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Original post, April 26:

A Redmond fourplex in the 15900 block of NE 41st St. is uninhabitable after a two-alarm fire broke out in one of the units and caused smoke damage to the other three homes.

Fire officials received a call of smoke in the area at 11:58 a.m., said Lt. Charlie Gorman of the , who was acting as a spokesman for the on Thursday.

Eight engines and three ladder trucks responded from the Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland and Woodinville fire departments to find "heavy smoke" in the entire single-story building and flames in an unoccupied unit, Gorman said.

The blaze was deemed "under control" at around 12:30 p.m., Gorman said.

Carolyn Herron, 76, was the only person in the building at the time of the blaze and called the fire department after smelling smoke. When she looked outside her unit, Herron said she could see flames of 3 to 4 feet coming from another unit in the fourplex.

"They were shooting out pretty good," she said.

Herron, who lives alone, escaped unharmed and was relieved when fire crews retrieved her maltese dog from her unit.

"I was more worried about my dog than I was my house," she said.

Gorman said the cause and origin of the fire is unknown at this point. Fire and police crews were still surveying the scene at around 1:30 p.m.

Redmond Patch will update this story when more information is available.