SEATTLE – The Phuong family returned Tuesday afternoon to lock the doors on their home and collect whatever valuables they could. It was a tough task returning to their home where one of their own lost his life.
Seattle fire investigators are searching for the cause of a fire that killed a teenager. The fire at the home on Trenton Street started around 8 p.m. Monday in a two-car garage.
The six people inside the home had no idea their attached garage was on fire until a neighbor came to help.
Just after 8 p.m. Monday, Thom Schwendeman's wife Jackie was walking their new dog when she saw heavy smoke coming from their neighbor's garage. She had her daughter call 911 while she went to help.
"She pounded on the door and the flames started coming up and she rounded everybody up and got them out of there. Grandpa was having trouble getting around, she literally picked him up and carried him out of there and set him in a car," said Schwendeman.
When firefighters arrived the garage was completely engulfed in flames and the fire had spread to the house.
Sean Phuong is still trying to deal with the loss of his only son Prackseth "Patrick" Soeun, who died inside the family's South Park home. While flames tore through the house, he frantically searched for his son but couldn't find him.
Family members worried the teenager was still inside, but firefighters searched the house and couldn't find him, the garage was already too dangerous to enter.
It was only after the fire was out that firefighters found a body in the garage.
Schwendeman said the neighbors are a friendly family.
"They were a tight-knit group, nice people always inviting me over for a barbecue," he said.
And with three generations ranging from babies to grandparents living under one roof, neighbors say they have a large support system.
"Hopefully they will figure out what happened and the family will pull together and be able to get through this," said Rhondie Obedoza.
Fire investigators spent the morning searching for evidence near the garage. The cause won't be determined until an autopsy on Patrick Soeun is complete.
The family is now left trying to figure out how they can rebuild their lives.
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