May 14-Seattle Firefighters extinguished an electrical fire outside a South Seattle restaurant this morning.

At 7:56 a.m., Engine Company 28 arrived to find smoke and flames coming from the side of a 1-story restaurant located in the 6000 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South. Firefighters used Dry Chemical and CO2 extinguishers to put out the fire. The business was closed so firefighters made forcible entry into the business to make sure the fire did not extend inside. No flames or smoke made it inside the restaurant.

Seattle City Light was called to the scene to inspect the electrical connections to the business to determine if the electricity was being stolen from the power lines. Seattle Police Officers were called to the scene to investigate items discovered in the basement of the building.

There were no reported injuries.

Recently, Seattle Fire Department teamed with Seattle City Light to warn against the dangers of electricity theft. The Seattle Fire Department has fought fires caused by attempts to steal power, and deaths have been reported in other cities related to meter tampering

Here is a link to more information about electricity theft.

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=6119

http://www.seattlechannel.org/news/detail.asp?id=12669&dept=3