A Bellevue family was able to escape a two-alarm fire that heavily damaged their Crossroads home the morning of Jan. 13 thanks to a smoke detector and a teenaged boy’s quick thinking.

The boy was reportedly awakened around 2 a.m. by the smell of smoke and the sound of a smoke detector. He alerted his mother, who found light smoke in the kitchen and heavy, pressurized smoke in the garage. The pair and a second son fled the home and called 911.

Twenty units, including eight fire engines and four ladder trucks, responded to the two-alarm fire and found the home fully engulfed in fire on all four sides. Bellevue firefighters were joined by Eastside Fire and Rescue, Kirkland, Redmond and Mercer Island firefighters and managed to get the fire under control in 28 minutes.

“Because of the extent, the amount of fire and the extension into the adjacent building, that’s why we called for the second alarm, which was definitely needed,” said Bellevue Fire Lt. Ryan Armstrong.

The adjacent home 10 feet east of the involved house only sustained superficial damage because of the effective fire attack.

The origin and cause of the fire are under investigation, and there are no initial indications of what may have caused the fire. There was approximately $550,000 in damage to the homes, but all seven occupants and two pets from both homes have shelter and are uninjured.

The Bellevue Fire Department said that this fire is a testament to the importance of testing and maintaining smoke detectors and having a family evacuation plan.