Fire destroys Gamblewood shed being used as temporary housing

GAMBLEWOOD — A man lost his temporary housing when a shed on a vacant lot was consumed by flames – thought to have been sparked by an unattended candle – Tuesday morning in the Gamblewood neighborhood between Kingston and Poulsbo.

Crews from North Kitsap Fire & Rescue and Poulsbo Fire Department were called to the Webb Circle address at 8:23 a.m. after the building’s occupant returned from a brief visit to a neighbor’s home to find the 6 by 10 structure ablaze. He removed his motorcycle from the building and called 911.

The first unit to arrive on scene was there in just under seven minutes, and found the shed fully involved in flames. Because of the structure’s small size and the fact that the flames weren’t threatening neighboring buildings, crews canceled the additional units coming from Poulsbo. Firefighters were able to quickly snuff the fire using just the water from the fire engine’s tank (500 gallons) and set about extinguishing hot spots. The man told crews that the shed is not served by electrical power and that he’d run out of propane several days earlier. He added that he’d been using a pillar candle for light, and that it had been in close proximity to his makeshift bed’s blankets.

It appears that the candle caused the fire, according to North Kitsap Fire & Rescue spokeswoman Michele Laboda.

Firefighters contacted the American Red Cross, and that agency will provide the man with temporary lodging and other emergency assistance. There were no injuries to firefighters or civilians.

 

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