A fire caused "extensive damage" to a townhouse at 4811B S. Graham Street today, the flames jumping to a neighboring home and causing moderate damage before firefighters could get both blazes under control. The siding of a house to the other side suffered external damage from the intense heat, but was otherwise unscathed.

According to Seattle Fire Department public information officer Kyle Moore, a 911 call came in at 12:56, with a neighbor reporting flames shooting from a window. Engine 28, located less than a half mile a way, was on the scene by 12:58, a prompt response that likely prevented the fire from spreading further among the closely nestled townhouses. A total of 18 "apparatus" and two battalion chiefs ultimately responded.

Moore says that firefighters searched both houses and found nobody inside, but he could not say if anyone was home at the time the fire broke out. No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the blaze is not yet known.

Interestingly, even as the fire department was still fighting the blaze, the utility crews were already lining up a few blocks away, ready to fix damaged utility lines and restore any interrupted service to the surrounding homes.

Your tax dollars at work! Really!