Fire destroys congressional candidate's home

Fire destroyed congressional candidate Darcy Burner's waterfront home near this Seattle suburb Tuesday morning.

Flames engulfed the house near Ames Lake in three to four minutes, campaign spokesman Sandeep Kaushik and Redmond Fire Capt. Frank Glaser said.

"The entire roof of the house is collapsed inward. It looks like a total wreck," Kaushik said.

The fire started on the first floor and flames were shooting through the roof by the time firefighters arrived. Around 20 firefighters from several departments responded.

"This was an extremely intense, hot fire," Glaser said. "The flames were 20 feet over the house."

Glaser said fire investigators believe a faulty appliance was to blame. Burner and her family told KIRO Television the fire apparently started in a nightlight in the bedroom of her 5-year-old son, Henry, who noticed flames and awakened up his parents.

"He woke up and did exactly what he's supposed to do," Burner told The Associated Press.

Burner, her husband Mike, and their son looked for the family's golden retriever puppy, Bruce Wayne, but had to get out when the ceiling started to collapse, she said.

The family escaped without injury, as did the dog, which firefighters found standing by a window in a foot of water. The family's cat, Charlotte, died in the fire.

Burner, a Democrat, is running against Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash., in the state's 8th District. She lost to Reichert in 2006.

She and her family were uncertain where they will live for the time being - "They're pretty shaken up right now," Kaushik said - but have relatives in the area.