North Kitsap Fire & Rescue (NKF&R) crews were called to an address in this community, southeast of Hansville, around 7:00pm after the woman called 911 to report the house ablaze and her wheelchair-bound partner still inside.  Also dependent on a wheelchair, the 70 year-old woman was able to safely escape though her hair was singed by the intense heat. As firefighters from the Hansville station made their way to the scene, neighbors of the couple -- having heard fire units dispatched on a scanner to the familiar address -- were attempting to enter the home to help the man get out. But,according to the neighbors, heat and fire prevented them from reaching him. First-arriving firefighters reported the structure to be fully ablaze, with flames shooting from every window. With heavy fire blocking every access, crews were unable to reach the man. Additional fire units from Poulsbo Fire Department as well as NKF&R's Kingston and Suquamish stations assisted in battling the fire which took nearly an hour to control; further assistance was provided by the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators from the Kitsap County Fire Marshal's Office were on the scene this evening, and will return tomorrow morning to determine the cause of the blaze. Preliminary information suggests that the fire was accidental.