Crews extinguish fire at downtown Chopaka Apartments
August 31, 2011
By Warren Kagarise
NEW — 11:30 a.m. Aug. 31, 2011
Eastside Fire & Rescue crews snuffed out a blaze at the Chopaka Apartments clubhouse in downtown Issaquah early Tuesday morning.
Firefighters responded to a report of a natural gas leak in the clubhouse at 145 Newport Way N.W. at 7:28 a.m.
The maintenance employee at the apartments said a gas leak occurred in the clubhouse, but firefighters investigated and determined the odor actually emanated from a fire still burning in some furniture. No gas leak existed.
Firefighters said smoke and heat damage had spread throughout the structure, but heat did not build to cause the flames to spread. The fire, starved for oxygen, had almost burned out.
Heat did build to the point of melting plastic items inside the building and vent coverings on the roof.
Crews conducted salvage and overhaul operations. Firefighters also ventilated the building to ensure the flames had been extinguished.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the King County Fire Investigation Unit and the Issaquah Police Department.
EFR and Bellevue Fire Department units responded to the blaze.
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