Renters displaced, one sent to hospital following NK house fire

By Staff report • August 19, 2025 1:30 am
NKF&R courtesy photo The space heater that is thought to have sparked a fire in a Gamblewood rental home lies in the debris.
NKF&R courtesy photo The space heater that is thought to have sparked a fire in a Gamblewood rental home lies in the debris.

A working smoke alarm got the attention of an occupant when combustibles, too close to an operating space heater, caught fire at a home in the Gamblewood neighborhood near Kingston Aug. 16, which displaced two renters and sent one person to a hospital with injuries.

Early reporting, closed doors and firefighters’ quick response limited fire damage to the bedroom where the blaze started, but smoke affected the entire structure, per North Kitsap Fire & Rescue. Two cats, initially unaccounted for, have been located alive. Neither the homeowner nor the tenants are insured; the American Red Cross has been contacted to assist the tenants.

NKF&R and Poulsbo Fire Department crews were called to a Firwood Road address at 11:50 a.m. after the occupant called 911 to report the fire. The first unit arrived on scene in just under eight minutes and reported smoke coming from the 1,100-square-foot doublewide mobile home. One crew had the fire knocked down within five minutes of their arrival, while others treated the injured occupant. He told firefighters that he’d turned on the heater but didn’t realize there was a problem until the home’s smoke alarm activated. After discovering the fire, he closed the bedroom door, which likely limited the fire’s growth. The home’s other occupant was away at the time, per NKF&R.

An investigator from the Kitsap County Fire Marshal’s Office responded to the scene. Based on witness statements and physical evidence, it appears that a towel had fallen onto the heater and ignited shortly after the appliance was turned on. The fire spread quickly through other nearby combustibles. One of the home’s two indoor cats was found hiding in the unaffected bedroom, while the other was found hiding under the house. Both appear to be uninjured.

“Without the warning sounded by the working smoke alarm, today’s outcome could have been much worse,” says NKF&R spokeswoman Michèle Laboda, who also reminds the public that the district will install the lifesaving devices for anyone who needs them.

To schedule an appointment, call NKF&R during business hours at (360)297-3619. Officials also urge everyone to give space heaters (and all heat-generating appliances) space from combustibles.