Everett-Area Apartment Fire Displaces 15; Probe Is Criminal

Fifteen people were left without access to their apartments after a fire broke out in an upper-floor hallway at the HighGrove Apartments, a complex in unincorporated Snohomish County, Washington, on Saturday night, Oct. 31. Fire officials say the blaze is now being treated as a criminal case, though no arrests had been announced as of Monday.

What happened

Crews from South County Fire were sent to the complex, which sits north of Lake Stickney in the Everett area, at roughly 10:45 p.m., according to The Daily Herald and KIRO 7. Another local outlet, My Everett News, put the start closer to 11 p.m., so the exact minute is a little fuzzy in public reporting.

The fire was on the fourth floor, in an exterior hallway. Firefighters kept it from spreading into any of the apartment units. My Everett News reported that the building's sprinklers had largely knocked the flames down before crews reached the scene and that firefighters then dealt with remaining hot spots; the other outlets did not describe the sprinklers, so treat that detail as coming from a single report.

One rescue stands out. Firefighters found a woman and a child on a back balcony and helped them to safety. KIRO 7 and a South County Fire statement described them as a mother and child. The Daily Herald, which corrected its own earlier wording, now says only a woman and a child. Nobody was reported hurt.

Who was affected

The 15 displaced residents could not stay in their homes because of smoke and water damage. The reports do not say how many apartments were affected, and they do not say how long the building will stay closed. Support 7 and the American Red Cross Northwest Region were helping residents with their immediate needs, according to the reports.

The investigation

Snohomish County Fire Marshal Seth Henderson said Monday that the fire is under criminal investigation, according to The Daily Herald. Officials have not said what that means in practice, have not released a cause, and have not named any suspect. Until investigators say more, there is no public basis to say how the fire started, so readers should be wary of social-media speculation.

What this means for renters

Hallway fires are a distinct problem in apartment buildings with exterior corridors. When the shared walkway is the only way out of a unit and it fills with smoke or flames, the safest choice is often to stay put, seal the door and call 911 with your exact unit number. The balcony rescue in Everett is a reminder to know where you can signal for help, and to keep a charged phone within reach at night.

Residents who are displaced in a case like this have a few practical steps:

• Get in touch with the landlord or property manager in writing. Ask when units can be inspected, whether rent is abated during the closure and how security deposits and prepaid rent will be handled.
• Call your renters insurer. Many policies include loss-of-use coverage for hotel and food costs when a unit is unlivable. Our guide to renters insurance after a fire explains what is typically covered.
• Photograph everything you can see and save receipts. Tenants are often allowed supervised access to retrieve essentials; ask the fire department or property manager how that works.
• Use the Red Cross. People affected by a home fire can call 1-800-RED-CROSS to open a case if they were not at the scene when volunteers arrived.

For a step-by-step list, see our first-72-hours checklist for tenants. If investigators later conclude the fire was set deliberately, that can affect insurance and landlord obligations in ways that depend on the lease and state law, so keep every message from your landlord and insurer.

We will update this report if the Fire Marshal's Office releases a cause or announces charges.

What we could not confirm

Public reports did not say how many units were damaged, whether any tenants will be allowed back soon, or what the criminal investigation involves. We have left those points out rather than guess.