Update 11:00 am 

The fire that damaged two homes on Thursday evening, breaking out after 10pm has now been assessed by investigators.

After arriving on the scene and seeing a column of fire,Seattle Fireline states "firefighters were able to quickly confirm that all the occupants were safely out of both houses and concentrated their efforts on extinguishing the fire.  It took approximately 20 minutes to get the fire under control and another 30 minutes to confirm complete extinguishment.  With the aggressive attack, the extra resources were not needed.

Fire damage to the original house was too substantial to reoccupy. The neighboring house’s damage was limited to the exterior but due to air quality inside, the occupants were rehoused temporarily. 

Fire investigators determined that discarded smoking materials on the back porch started the fire.  The cumulative loss to both houses is estimated to be $300,000. "

Original Post

A fire call just after 10pm on Thursday drew multiple engines to the 5200 block of 36th Ave SW for a fire that apparently began, according to the homeowner, after he had been outside smoking.

Witnesses said that there were flames visible behind the house and one said he heard an explosion and saw sparks.

Firefighters were looking at the home at 5229 36th and the home next door for damage and had ladders up on both structures. 

The homeowner was examined for potential injury by the paramedics but was ok. He and his wife were sitting in a pick up truck outside as smoke poured from their home. It's likely they will need to seek shelter elsewhere for the evening.

No official cause or amount of damage was announced. Fire investigators will determine those facts later.