August 28 — Fire investigators determined the fire that destroyed one home and damaged two others in an Arbor Heights neighborhood was caused by a portable fire pit in the home’s garage. Investigators say either old charcoal or wood in the fire pit spontaneously combusted and ignited nearby items stored inside an attached garage. Damages are estimated at approximately $430,000 which includes the home where the fire started and some fire damage to the homes directly north and south.

The calls started coming in at 5:25 p.m. yesterday with multiple people reporting smoke and flames at 102nd and 41st Avenue Southwest. When firefighters arrived, the fire was already well involved with a thick black column of smoke coming from a two story home. Firefighters initially had difficulty getting water to the fire because of possible problems with the two closest hydrants. Seattle Public Utilities was notified and sent a crew to the scene to assist with the hydrants. Seattle Fire and Seattle Public Utilities will investigate the matter further.

The Incident Commander called a second alarm to bring in more firefighting resources. Nine fire engines and hundreds of feet of hose were laid over a three block area to establish a steady water supply. Because of the danger posed by a partial collapse of the building, firefighters were brought out of the home and fought the fire defensively from the outside. They successfully prevented the fire from spreading to nearby homes.

One firefighter was transported to Harborview Medical Center with minor burns to his face. He was treated and later released. There were no other injuries and several pets inside the home survived. The homeowners were out of town on vacation

A fire watch was left in place overnight and fire crews continue to work on putting out hot spots today.