Fire forces guests out of Salish Lodge

Seventy-five guests were evacuated from their rooms at Snoqualmie's Salish Lodge & Spa early this morning after a fire broke out in the attic above one of the lodge restaurants.

At 1:42 a.m., an automatic fire alarm alerted firefighters, who responded to the luxury lodge "not knowing what to expect," said City of Snoqualmie spokeswoman Jodi Warren. They arrived to see flames shooting from the roof, she said. With help from neighboring fire agencies, firefighters were able to knock the blaze down quickly, containing damage to the area above The Attic Bistro, Warren said.

"We were very fortunate. ... This could've been tragic," she said.

No one was hurt and guests were allowed to return to their rooms around 4 a.m. The lodge, situated above Snoqualmie Falls, was not at full capacity, Warren said.

The King County Fire Marshal determined the fire was accidentally sparked by some kind of electrical malfunction and damage was estimated at approximately $500,000, Warren said.