SEATTLE (AP) -- Two construction workers and an off-duty firefighter did their best but were unable to save a man who died as fire destroyed his small newspaper-filled house, authorities said.
Firefighters put out the flames and found the 52-year-old man dead on the floor near the kitchen of the small north end bungalow Thursday, Fire Department spokeswoman Helen Fitzpatrick said.
Heaps of newspapers and other material kept by the man made it difficult for firefighters and would-be rescuers she said.
Bud Harrison said he was on some scaffolding nearby when a co-worker noticed smoke. Harrison said he called 911, then ran down the street with a foreman and, along with a passing off-duty firefighter, tried to kick in the front door but couldn't get it open very far because of the debris, smoke and flames.
Shouting but getting no response from inside, they trained a garden hose on the flames to little effect, then sprayed water on a neighboring larger house to protect it until firefighters arrived, Harrison said.
The fire was sparked by an electrical short circuit in a refrigerator-freezer at the rear of the house, Fitzpatrick said. Damage was estimated at $125,000.
