Anacortes: house fire in Skyline contained after water‑main break; no injuries, investigation underway

City officials told the Anacortes City Council on Jan. 21 that a house fire at 2011 Cove Place in the Skyline neighborhood on Jan. 19 was extinguished and that no injuries were reported.

The city statement described an initial offensive interior attack and search; fire crews withdrew after discovering a fully involved attic and partial roof collapse, then shifted to a defensive attack to prevent spread to adjacent structures. Fire personnel did not observe persistent pressure issues at first, but about 20 minutes into firefighting operations a drop in pressure and flow was observed.

The water utility responded and the cause was found to be a break in a water main at 5304 Dune Way. The city said the Skyline water system is redundant and that utility staff isolated the break and actuated valves to reroute supply to the scene, restoring pressure and enabling firefighters to extinguish the blaze. City staff noted the water main on Dune Way was installed in 1969 and that the Cove Place water system had been replaced in 2023. The report said reservoirs and hydrants were tested and operational, and that the fire department performs regular hydrant flow checks and had recently completed additional hydrant operations while training new firefighters.

The city said a full investigation into the fire cause, dispatching and the water‑system response is ongoing but that it is unlikely the outcome would have changed based on the timeline of the water‑main break. City officials expressed gratitude that no one was injured and that damage was limited to the single property.

Ending: The city said it will provide further information as the investigation progresses and that subject‑matter experts are engaged in the inquiry.