A Thursday afternoon fire destroyed this house at 709 E. Fir St. The home's occupant, Yvonne Sayers, was not injured in the fire but a cat and several birds died and a dog was reported missing.

Flames and smoke were visible from the front porch, door and windows when firefighters arrived at 2:36 p.m.. Firefighters entered the house to begin putting out the fire, eventually cutting a hole in the roof and gutting the home's mid-section.

Rhoads said the fire's origin remains under investigation. He described it as a "backdraft fire" that smoldered then flared up when Sayers returned home and opened the front door, feeding oxygen to the fire. Sayers was not seriously injured but it was a potentially explosive situation, he said.

No other homes were threatened by the fire, which closed two blocks of Fir Street for an hour.

3 Engines, 2 Aid Cars, 2 Chief Officers, and the District PIO were dispatched to the fire for a total of 21 personnel. In addition 2 Sequim Police Officers provided traffic control, Sequim Ambulance sent a unit to standby, Hans Bailey, C.C.F.D. #3 Chaplain arrived to offer assistance, representatives from the American Red Cross were called to the scene, Sequim City crews turned off the water meter, and the Public Utility District disconnected power to the building.