SEATTLE - Firefighters found a man lying in the back yard of a burning home in northwest Seattle.


Fire Department Lt. Sue Stangl says he was scratched up and had inhaled smoke from trying to fight the fire himself Wednesday morning and was taken to a hospital.

Neighbors had reported the fire about 7:30 a.m. in the North Beach-Blue Ridge area.

Stangl says it was fully involved in flames when firefighters arrived. When they determined no one was inside they fought it from outside and prevented flames from spreading to nearby homes.

No word yet on the cause.

Stangl says the house, which has a view of Puget Sound, is a total loss.


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