A drier that vented directly into the attic is the cause of a $200,000 fire that forced eight people from a house early Monday morning in the 600 block of Harrington Avenue Northeast  fire, according to the Renton Fire Department.

The residents and their guests – four adults and four children – got out of the single-story house safely. The Red Cross was to find temporary housing for them. The house is considered a total loss, according to Renton Deputy Fire Chief Bill Flora.

The fire was ruled accidental after Renton fire investigators inspected the house Monday.

Driers should have hoses that vent outside, Flora said, and lint traps on the drier should be checked after every use.

The lint built up, Flora explained, and the heat eventually reached the temperature at which the lint would ignite.

The fire was reported at about midnight. Flames were shooting from the roof of the home when fire crews arrived. Fire District 20 fire crews from West Hill were called to assist.

The fire took about an hour to control because multiple roofs were added through remodeling, said Deputy Fire Chief Bill Flora. The new roofs created voids, which made it difficult to access the fire, he said.

An hour, Flora said, is “a long time. We just couldn’t get access to it (the fire).” The fire was contained to the attic.

As a precaution, the next-door neighbors were evacuated from their house as a precaution, he said.