Seattle Fire Investigators wrapped up their on scene investigation into the fatal apartment fire that occured yesterday morning at 334 Northwest 41st Street in Fremont. Four children and one woman died in the tragic fire. The official cause of the fire is undetermined pending test results but investigators say they have no reason to believe the fire is suspicous.

The fire started on the main floor of a two story apartment unit and quickly spread upstairs to the second floor.  Heavy smoke and flames were coming from the windows and doors of the apartment when the first firefighters arrived. One woman and a five-year old girl escaped the fire but five other family members were trapped in an upstairs bathroom. They were unable to get out because of heavy fire.

The apartment had a smoke alarm system and investigators were told that the smoke alarm did go off.

A transmission problem with the first arriving fire engine caused a delay in firefighters’ ability to put water on the fire. The engine was towed to the City’s garage for fire mechanics to identify the problem. The crew on Engine 18 had tested the pump earlier the same morning of the fire without experiencing any problems.

The Seattle Fire Department  plans on meeting with residents of the apartment building and neighbors to talk about what happened at the fire and answer questions.