Wall heater started Tacoma apartment fire that killed resident

One person died early Tuesday after being unable to escape a fire that quickly spread through an apartment in Tacoma, according to the Fire Department.

Firefighters were called about 1:20 a.m. to the Spanish Hills apartments, 6409 S. 12th St., and found smoke and flame coming from a downstairs unit.

“While we were knocking the fire down, we did find a single occupant in the apartment,” fire spokesman Joe Meinecke said.

The resident has not been identified.

No one else was injured in the blaze.

People in the other apartments were evacuated and kept warm inside a bus brought in by the Fire Department. Since no other apartments were damaged, residents were allowed to return to their homes within a short time.

Investigators said the fire was caused by a wall heater that ignited items nearby.

This story was originally published January 2, 2018 at 9:12 AM with the headline "Wall heater started Tacoma apartment fire that killed resident."