BURIEN, Wash. - A Burien woman admits she may have accidentally started a fire on the balcony at an apartment complex early Wednesday morning.
No one was injured in the 2-alarm fire at English Garden Apartments, a 12-unit apartment in the 500 block of S. 152nd Street.
Fire dispatchers received the call just before 5 a.m. When fire crews arrived, they discovered a fire burning in a third floor apartment. Fire officials say the fire began on the apartment's balcony and moved up into the attic.
"I fell asleep, woke up and heard all this crackling, snapping, popping and there was just fire everywhere outside my patio door," said Judy Burnham, resident.
Judy Burnham was one of the 20 people forced to evacuate from the building. A public bus was brought in to keep the displaced residents warm.
Many wondered what caused the fire, but Burnham says she knew what happened.
"I fell asleep with a candle outside on my porch. I think it burned through," she said.
Burnham spoke at length with investigators about the candle and told them what she did after she woke up.
"(I) ran out into the hallway, got the fire extenguisher, the sirens started going off, went back inside with the fire extinguisher, and took one look at it and it was just getting more and more big," she said. "There was really thick, black smoke and I put the fire extinguisher down and went, 'There's just no way.'"
Burnham called 911 and fire crews managed to put out the fire fast. But the memory of the fire will stick around for some residents, especially Burnham.
"It was an honest mistake," she said.
About six of the 12 units sustained water damage. The fire marshall estimated the damage at about $250,000. Most of that is water damage.
KING 5's Tim Robinson contributed to this report.
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