House Fire at North Fife Street
A residence at 610 North Fife Street is heavily damaged by a blaze likely caused by faulty wiring while the owners were sitting in the floor below.
Fire, believed to have originated from defective wiring, gutted the upper floors of the residence belonging to B. Bertleson at 610 North Fife Street yesterday afternoon. The blaze caused approximately $700 in damage. Mr. and Mrs. Bertleson were in one of the lower rooms during the fire, unaware that their roof was engulfed in flames. The fire department successfully prevented the fire from spreading to neighboring homes.
“Mr. and Mrs. Bertleson were sitting in one of the lower rooms during the greater part of the conflagration, unmindful of the sweeping flames which were eating the roof from above their heads.”
Fires caused by faulty residential wiring remain a common hazard in Tacoma's older housing stock, underscoring the enduring importance of modern building codes and electrical safety inspections.
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