Today we followed up at kitsap.com about the house fire yesterday in South Kitsap that displaced a family of three. The Kitsap County Fire Marshal reports that, as witnesses said, the blaze which leveled the home on Gable street and scorched two adjacent homes was caused by fireworks. Dry conditions contributed to the spread of the fire.
Thankfully no one was injured, and the family’s two dogs escaped and have been located.
The fire, and its cause, are a cautionary tale of sorts. One of the neighbors who lives across the street from the home that burned described his family’s quick response to water the roof and yard and start loading up the important stuff. My husband has been sounding the alarm about the possibility of our house catching on fire since it borders a wood of tall fir trees that are dry as tinder, and we’ve talked about an evacuation plan. But what to take? The pets are a priority, as is his mother’s art work.
The Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management has an evacuation tip sheet applicable in any type of disaster. Prior planning is recommended. As for what to take, the DEM recommends the “four p’s” … people (“This also includes pets,” the DEM states.), papers, prescriptions and pictures (irreplaceable family photos). On papers, this means having a copy of important papers, like deeds, insurance papers and birth certificates ready to go. If you don’t store important phone numbers in your cell phone, make a copy to go with the “papers” pile. Remember to grab the laptops.
With the summer travel season upon us, KCDEM reminds you to be mindful of the hazards in the areas you visit and know the evacuation routes.
Friends and neighbors of the South Kitsap family who lost their home have mounted a campaign to collect items and funds for the family, with a GoFundMe page. A trivia fundraiser will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 8 at Everybody’s American Cookhouse, 4215 Mile Hill Drive, Port Orchard.
Contrary to some comments on Facebook, the local branch of the American Red Cross is helping the family also. The rumor was that the Red Cross was tapped by fires in Eastern Washington and could not offer help in local disasters. That’s not true, said Dave Rasmussen, disaster program manager. True, the agency’s local response volunteers have been especially busy over the past three weeks due to the Edgewood Villa apartment fire in Manette on June 22, which displaced 16 individuals, followed by four others including the Gable Avenue fire. But the local Red Cross has adequate resources and volunteers to meet needs, even in high demand periods, thanks to local generosity and backup from regional and national offices, Rasmussen said.
To donate to the American Red Cross serving Kitsap County, mail your gift to 811 Pacific Ave., Bremerton, 98337 or give online at http://www.redcross.org/. Donations may be designated for “local disaster response.”
