A candle in a glass casing caused a bookcase to go up in flames in a townhouse in the Ridgecrest neighborhood about 8 p.m. Monday.
The fire was out by the time Shoreline fire crews arrived to the townhome in the 600 block of N.E. 165th St.
The newer building had a fire suppressing sprinkle system,
as called for in City of Shoreline building codes, and "it went off just like it is supposed to," according to fire personnel at the scene. "We have never had a fatality in a building that has a sprinkler system."
The dinner guests, residents and cat all escaped unharmed, but will be extensive clean-up required do to water damage.
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And while the sprinkler system may have dampened the flames, it didn't dampen the spirit of the holiday season.
The lights on the Christmas tree in the front window are still aglow.