East Pierce Fire and Rescue responded to the report of a house fire at approximately 6 a.m. today, Thursday. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered the Mountain View Drive home was filled with smoke and a woman was trapped inside, on the second floor. She was rescued and treated for smoke inhalation before being released at the scene.

Responding crews included four fire engines, a ladder truck and two medic units. One crew located and extinguished the fire while a second crew rescued the woman from a bedroom window. The woman’s father also resides in the house but a thorough search confirmed he was not present at the time of the incident.

Smoke alarms in the house were not in working order. The woman awoke to the smell of smoke and crashing sounds from the first floor, according to East Pierce Battalion Chief Rick Goetz.

“She did all the right things,” Goetz said. “She felt the bedroom door and found it was hot, so she didn’t open it. She called 911 and advised the dispatcher precisely where she was and then went to the window to wait for the firefighters. That’s exactly what we teach people to do.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation but it originated in the basement, according to East Pierce Assistant Fire Marshal Lane Walthers.

This story will be updated if further information becomes available.