The day after Christmas this home on South Laurel Street in Port Angeles was destroyed by fire. It’s still standing, but the interior is completely gutted. It took firefighters 10 hours to extinguish the fire. The owner is Joan Schott, a longtime Port Angeles resident. Joan and her son, who lives with her, suffered from minor smoke inhalation and were fortunate to get out in the early morning hours when they heard the smoke alarm. The cause of the fire is still unknown, although firefighters report it appears to have started in the basement on the opposite side of the house from the furnace.
This is an older home, and older homes were not built with the same kind of fire safety codes and materials that are used in new homes today. Fire safety is not a minor issue as this owner would testify.
Last Updated on July 27, 2012 by Chuck Marunde
