Fire Line » Fires

House Fire in Fremont Ruled Accidental

vanders — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:49:50 +0000

Seattle Firefighters responded to a house fire just before midnight Wednesday in the 4100 block of Evanston Avenue North. When firefighters arrived at the house they saw flames coming from the first floor of a two story house. All the occupants got out of the house safely. The fire was quickly extinguished. There were no injuries. Fire Investigators determined that the fire was accidental – caused by an overheated electrical cord. Damage was estimated at $50,000.

Free Locks for Recycle Bins in Greenwood

vanders — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:18:52 +0000

In an effort to help keep burnable materials secure, Seattle Public Utilities will provide locks for commercial recycling, garbage and food waste containers in the Greenwood neighborhood, within the boundaries of NW 75th Street to North 90th Street and from 3rd Ave NW to Fremont Ave North. Residents and business owners can call Waste Management Customer Service at 1-800-592-9995 to get a free lock for containers provided by Seattle Public Utilities contracted service providers.

Seattle Fire Department encourages residents to continue to be vigilant about cleaning up around their businesses and homes. Click on the following links for additional tips on how to prevent arson.

Arson Tips for Residents:
http://www.seattle.gov/fire/fmo/Info/Arson%20Tips%20for%20Residential.pdf

Arson Tips for Businesses:
http://www.seattle.gov/fire/fmo/Info/Arson%20Tips%20for%20Business.pdf

Arson Tips in Spanish:
http://www.seattle.gov/fire/fmo/Info/Arson%20Tips%20in%20Espanol.pdf

Greenwood Arson Arrest

patrick — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:54:35 +0000

The Arson Task Force announced the arrest of a suspect in connection with the Greenwood arsons today. Members of the Seattle Police Department, Seattle Fire Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), held a press conference this afternoon detailing the early morning arrest of 46-year old Kevin Todd Swalwell.

Task force members had identified Swalwell as a person of interest in the Greenwood fires. Seattle Fire Investigators spotted him near the scene of a warehouse fire in Shoreline early this morning and contacted police. Swalwell was interviewed by police detectives and booked into the King County Jail for investigation of arson.

Seattle Police believe that Swalwell may be responsible for some if not all of the Greenwood arsons. Detectives are uncertain whether any additional suspects are connected to these crimes. Neighborhood arson patrols will continue until detectives are confident that these cases have been resolved. If you see anything suspicious taking place, call 911. If you have any information about any of the arsons, you can call the Arson Alarm Hotline at 1-800-55-ARSON. The Arson Alarm Foundation is offering up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the arsonist.

As a reminder, there are simple things you can do to make your homes and neighborhoods safer. One of the most important is to clean up the areas around your homes and businesses. Get rid of any burnable items and keep your recycle bins secure.

Arson Tips for Residents: http://www.seattle.gov/fire/fmo/Info/Arson%20Tips%20for%20Residential.pdf

Arson Tips for Businesses: http://www.seattle.gov/fire/fmo/Info/Arson%20Tips%20for%20Business.pdf

Arson Tips in Spanish: http://www.seattle.gov/fire/fmo/Info/Arson%20Tips%20in%20Espanol.pdf

Now is also a very important time to make sure you have working smoke alarms and a fire safety plan. Seattle Fire Department offers free smoke alarms and installation for qualified homeowners.

Smoke Alarm Program: http://www.seattle.gov/fire/pubEd/smokealarms/smokeAlarms.htm

Home Fire Safety: http://www.seattle.gov/fire/pubEd/homesafety/homeFireSafety.htm

Fire Fact Sheets: http://www.seattle.gov/fire/pubEd/brochures/brochures.htm

Greenwood Community Meeting – Location Change

vanders — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:23:32 +0000

Due to the amount of interest, the venue for tonight’s community meeting has moved from Upper Crust Catering to the Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church. The meeting is sponsored by the Seattle Fire Department and the Seattle Police Department to talk about the recent arsons in the Greenwood neighborhood and what residents can do to help prevent arson. The meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10 at the Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church, Fellowship Hall, 7500 Greenwood Avenue North.

Fire in Bitter Lake Apartment Stairwell Intentionally Set

vanders — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:39:22 +0000

Firefighters responded to a report of a fire in a three story apartment building at 13437 Greenwood Avenue North in the Bitter Lake neighborhood just before 11:30 p.m. on Monday night. When the first units arrived on the scene they found smoke in the hallways and a small fire in an interior stairwell on the first floor. Fire Investigators determined that this fire was intentionally set. The fire caused $1,700 in damage to the carpet and a door in the stairwell. There were no injuries.

House Fire on North 103rd Street Ruled Accidental

vanders — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:09 +0000

Just after 3:00 a.m. on Monday November 2, Seattle firefighters responded to a fire in a two story home located at 700 North 103rd Street. When firefighters arrived they saw heavy smoke and flames coming from the door and windows of the house. All occupants got out of the home safely and there were no injuries. Due to the extensive amount of fire, firefighters took a defensive stance and fought the fire from the outside of the building.

Fire Investigators determined that the fire was accidental – caused by improperly discarded smoking materials. Damage was estimated at $320,000.

Three Alarm Fire in Greenwood

vanders — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:11:32 +0000

Photo by John Odegard

Firefighters responded to a report of smoke in the area of Greenwood Ave and NW 85^th Street at 4:09 this morning. When firefighters arrived on the scene they saw smoke and flames coming from the roof of a one-story building in a block that contained three restaurants, a coffee shop, a theatre and a beauty school. No one was inside the building where the fire occurred and the residents of nearby apartments to the east of the fire were safely evacuated. One firefighter suffered a minor ankle injury.

Firefighters also evaluated a number of cats inside a nearby PAWS animal shelter and waited until representatives from PAWS arrived to care for the animals.

Nearly 100 Seattle Firefighters fought the three-alarm fire for more than two hours before it was under control. Firefighters initially attacked the fire from inside the building but a decision was made to fight the fire defensively after a roof collapsed and it became too dangerous to stay inside the building. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to one building and save the adjacent structures except for some smoke and water damage.

Firefighters will remain on scene throughout the day to watch for smoldering hot spots. Due to the instability of the structure where the fire occurred, it may take fire investigators several days to determine the cause of the fire.

Photo by John Odegard

Photo Courtesy of Phinneywood.com

Photo courtesy of Phinneywood.com

No Injuries in Green Lake House Fire

vanders — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:05:41 +0000

Firefighters responded to a house fire just after 2:00 a.m. on Friday, September 25 at 2211 N. 59th Street. When firefighters arrived there were flames coming from the second floor of a two story home. Residents were able to get out safely and without any injuries. Firefighters had the fire under control within about 10 minutes. Fire Investigators determined that the fire was accidental, caused by an overheated light fixture. Damage was estimated at $70,000.

Morning Fire Caused by Improper Disposal of Smoking Materials

vanders — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:10:42 +0000

At 2:30 a.m. this morning the Seattle Fire Department responded to a report of smoke coming from a five story apartment building located at 1000 Queen Anne Avenue North. Firefighters arrived to find fire in a two bedroom apartment on the second floor of the building. Firefighters evacuated the building and were able to put the fire out in about 15 minutes. Two occupants were treated at the scene for minor smoke inhalation but neither required transport to the hospital.

Fire Investigators determined that the fire was accidental, caused by improper disposal of smoking materials. The fire was contained to one unit and damage was estimated at $125,000.

Morning Fire in Lake City Ruled Accidental

vanders — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:26:49 +0000

Firefighters responded to a house fire at 14092 23rd Place NE at 9:12 a.m. Wednesday morning. When Engine 39 arrived at the scene they found heavy smoke and flames coming from the front side of a one story house. One occupant was able to get out of the house safely prior to the Fire Department’s arrival. The fire spread up into the attic space and firefighters cut holes in the roof to ventilate and pulled apart the ceilings to ensure that the hotspots were put out. Forty firefighters responded to the fire and there were no injuries. Fire Investigators determined that the fire was accidental, caused by combustible materials placed too close to an operating wood stove. Damage was estimated at $180,000.

Photo by Mike Heaton