Storm claims home

A windstorm that whipped across the Plateau Friday night and early Saturday morning left a trail of destruction that included snapped power poles, plenty of downed trees and, worst of all, a rural home burned to the ground.

Winds were steadily in the 60 mph range and there were reports that gusts hit 70 mph in the Enumclaw area.

The most dramatic sign of the storm was found at 42909 228th Ave. S.E. where a home, its furnishings, personal belongings and a vehicle were totally destroyed in a fire. One pet is believed to have perished and two others were safe in an outbuilding.

The lone occupant, however, safely got out of the house and was taken in by a neighbor.

It was 3:45 a.m. Saturday when the Enumclaw Fire Department was dispatched. Because power lines had been snapped and were blocking 228th, crews were unable to access the home from either the north or south. When emergency crews learned the woman was safe, except for a scratch obtained when fleeing her home, firefighters waited until Puget Sound Energy crews determined the scene was safe. At that point, firefighters put out the final flames.

A King County Sheriff’s Fire Investigator was dispatched to the scene and determined the fire cause to be electrical, resulting from a power surge due to the storm and damage to utility service in the area.

Along 228th, nine poles suffered damage, limiting electrical service to at least a dozen homes and businesses in the area. Crews worked rapidly to repair the damage and much of the work was finished by Sunday afternoon

Contact Enumclaw Courier Herald Senior Writer, Editor Kevin Hanson at editor@courierherald.com or 360-802-8205.

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