NW Redmond house fire put out by fish tank’s water

(Update: Adding video, comments from homeowner)

A northwest Redmond homeowner’s fish tank cabinet caught fire Friday night — but the fire caused the glass to break, which put out the blaze. And firefighters later found his two lifeless catfish and revived them in the kitchen sink.

“I can’t explain how a fish tank can save the house,” said Bill Graves, owner of the home. “It’s amazing how the thing that started the fire also put it out.”

The resident of the 2000 block of Northwest Nickernut Court got home from dinner just before 10 p.m. and arrived to find his home full of smoke, with water and glass on the floor, Battalion Chief Jeff Puller said.

Unsure just what happened, or if his home had been broken into, he closed the door and called 911, Puller said.

Firefighters arrived to find a 25-gallon free-standing fish tank blackened by fire, but no longer burning. Puller said they removed the fish tank from the house and used positive-pressure ventilation fans to clear the home of smoke.

When the fire began on the back of the wooden cabinet holding the fish tank, it broke the glass, releasing the water and putting out the fire, Puller said.

As firefighters performed overhaul, they found two lifeless catfish on the floor, covered in soot.

Puller said they took the fish to the kitchen sink, cleaned them and began moving them through the water, to flush air and water through their gills.

“After a few minutes, both fishes revived and were swimming in the sink,” Puller said in a news release.

Investigators determined the fire was caused by an electrical power strip that shorted out and caught fire, the battalion chief said. Losses were estimated at $1,000.