This is the horrifying moment a fire raced through a Seattle-area home, trapping and killing a grandmother who was inside.
The grandmother, 81, could not escape the flames but her 91-year-old husband who was on the outside deck survived, according to officials.
Footage from the scene shows the two-story home becoming engulfed in flames on Sunday afternoon in Lynnwood, a suburb of Seattle.
The elderly couple’s relatives raced to the scene to find their family home destroyed and their matriarch still inside, as reported by KIRO 7.
Firefighters arrived at the home just minutes after receiving a call but the structure was already collapsing, making entry difficult.
Firefighters used a ladder to access the home’s second floor after the first collapsed to search for the victim, South County Fire Communications Director told the local outlet.
That’s when they found the grandmother-of-seven dead inside the home.
A grandmother of seven, 81, died in a house fire in Lynnwood, a Seattle suburb on Sunday
The woman’s husband, 91, was on the outside deck and managed to escape the flames
It took firefighters about 20 minutes to put out the flames that left the home partly destroyed.
The woman’s husband was evaluated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
Officials said they did not hear a working fire detector at the home, which is valued at $1million.
‘Everyone is encouraged to check your home’s smoke alarms. Working smoke alarms can save lives by giving you more time to escape a fire,’ said a spokesperson for the Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office.
‘Replaceable batteries in smoke alarms should be changed once each year. Replace all smoke alarms after 10 years.’
A probe has been opened to determine the origin of the deadly fire.
At least six people reportedly lived in the home, but only the elderly couple were home when the fire broke out.
Officials have not released names for the elderly couple.
They appear to be originally from India.
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