Explosions reported as fire destroys Mercer Island home, displaces 5

More than 30 calls reported explosions coming from a Mercer Island home that caught fire, displacing five people and leaving two dogs missing.

At approximately 1 a.m., Eastside Fire and Rescue (EFR) received calls reporting a fire at a residence near Lakeridge Elementary School, with some callers reporting that the fire had spread to nearby grass and fences, according to KIRO 7.

As crews arrived, they located “heavy fire conditions” at the home and took a defensive position to protect nearby structures from catching on fire, EFR Battalion Chief Jon Wiseman told KIRO 7.

Wiseman saw sparks from the fire, while residents as far away as Seattle could see smoke rising from the home.

5 Mercer Island residents escape safely, 2 family dogs went missing in the blaze

Firefighters confirmed that all residents safely exited the home, but five people have been displaced.

Two dogs, a labradoodle and a small dog, were inside the home at the time of the fire. While the dogs escaped safely, they are now missing, and both Wiseman and the family have asked neighbors to be on the lookout.

Firefighters battled challenging terrain during their efforts due to the house’s location on a hill, which forced EFR to remain in a defensive position for more than two hours.

EFR’s public information officer, Catherine Imboden, said the difficult terrain and fire intensity prompted the department to upgrade the response to a two-alarm response.

“The second alarm was struck to help protect surrounding structures and put out spot fires,” Imboden said.

A two-alarm fire requires additional support vehicles due to the fire being larger than anticipated, spreading rapidly, or threatening nearby buildings.

Crews gained control after hours-long fight, but remained on scene for hours

At approximately 4 a.m., EFR gained control of the fire and remained on site, working to suppress the flames throughout the morning and possibly into the afternoon.

“The house does look like it’s destroyed; we’re still assessing to what level, but that’s what it looks like,” Wiseman told KIRO 7.

By roughly 8:30 a.m., Imboden confirmed that the small dog had been reunited with the family, though the labradoodle remained missing.

The Red Cross was contacted to assist with the five displaced people, and the King County Sheriff’s Office has taken over the investigation into the cause of the fire.

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