SEATTLE – Eight people escaped a house fire in the Ballard neighborhood early Friday morning after crawling onto the roof of the home.
Two of the victims, 12-year-old Cierra Luberts and her 74-year-old grandmother, Gloria, were hospitalized with burns. Both are expected to survive. A third relative was held at the hospital as a precaution.
“I’m just glad everybody got out safe,” said 16-year-old Ashley Luberts, who escaped the fire. “Somebody was watching over us.”
The fire started just before 4:30 a.m. in the 6400 block of 9th Avenue NW, in a home owned by the grandmother. Relatives were staying over to celebrate the holiday weekend.
Seven people were sleeping upstairs and one person, A.J. Luberts, was sleeping downstairs when the fire started. Luberts ran upstairs to wake everyone up. The fire was so intense, the group could not escape through the front door, so Luberts guided six of them out of a window and to the roof.
“The fire was chasing us out of the house,” Ashley Luberts said. “It was spreading so quickly.”
Once on the roof, they were faced with a terrifying choice: jump off the roof or hope the flames do not reach them.
“I thought we were really gonna die,” said 13-year-old Brittany Kittelson. “I didn’t think we were gonna make it.”
Within minutes, firefighters arrived and guided them off of the roof with ladders.
For those witnessing it unfold, many were shocked to see the flames spreading so quickly. Shock suddenly turned to horror.
"The people were on the roof just screaming for their lives," said neighbor Jim Becker.
Meanwhile, the grandmother was trapped on a part of the roof on the other side of the home.
"The flames were crawling around the outside of the building, underneath the easements outside the windows," said Seattle Police Officer Doug Beard.
Beard had to convince the elderly grandmother, who was scared, to come down. He tried to break her fall as she jumped.
Flames continued to rage and firefighters continued their battle, while neighbors couldn't take their eyes off the fire.
"They're a really nice family. This is just awful. I can't believe it," Becker said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The Luberts think it may have started in the kitchen.
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