SEATTLE – On April 24, just after 5 a.m., the Fire Alarm Center received multiple calls about a house fire in the U-District at the 4500 Block of 9th Avenue NE. Firefighters from Station 17 arrived first on scene and reported a fully-involved fire in a vacant house. Flames were shooting 30-feet in the air, and coming from all floors of the structure.
Photo credit: Bob Lukas 
Crews quickly put a strategy in place of fighting the fire defensively from the outside, applying water first with hand lines, and then primarily from a ladder pipe. The roof had begun to collapse on both sides, creating the need for a 50-foot collapse zone on all sides of the structure.
Firefighters learned the house was scheduled for demolition, and actively worked to protect a nearby excavator from sustaining fire damage. Due to clear safety concerns, firefighters were unable to go in and search the house, however, there were no reports from any witnesses on scene of anyone inside.
Fire investigators responded to the scene and have begun their investigation into the cause, estimated damage, and origin. Information will be updated as it becomes available.