Puget Sound Fire and Kent Police respond.
Firefighters from Puget Sound Fire were dispatched with Kent police at 7:00 PM yesterday, after they received a report of a distressed adult male who claimed to have doused his two-story home in gasoline.
Police were able to talk the man out of the home, located in the 20900 block of 134 Pl. SE. on Kent’s East Hill. The man was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
Several nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution.
A Puget Sound Fire hazardous materials team was brought in to assess the situation. They found that approximately three to five gallons of gasoline had been poured throughout the home. Fortunately, the man that had been in the home was not injured, and the gasoline fumes did not reach an ignition source.
Firefighters quickly shut off the electricity to the home to eliminate any ignition sources and used special monitors to determine if there was an explosion hazard. By opening all of the windows and exterior doors, firefighters were able to reduce the fumes to a point where they could no longer burn.
A private company specializing in dealing with hazardous materials will be brought in soon to remove the contaminated materials.
Source: Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority
