April 11, 2020, at 3:19 a.m.: Dispatchers received multiple calls reporting a fully involved fire in a residential building under construction at the 2300 block of 48th Ave SW. Firefighters arrived on scene at 3:21 a.m. and faced window shattering heat with visible flames extending toward the neighboring residences. They immediately began extending hose lines and establishing a water supply while additional firefighters began evacuating the neighboring residences.
The incident commander upgraded the response to a 2-alarm where nine engines, five ladder companies and ten support units were dispatched to the scene. Crews fought the fire in a defensive strategy where a ladder truck raised its aerial and poured water onto the fire from an elevated vantage point while firefighters on the ground established several hose lines to keep the fire at bay. PIOs sent an Alert Seattle message warning residents nearby of heavy smoke and to close their windows and doors.
Crews were able to get the fire under control within 30 minutes and continued to put out hot spots for another hour. A few units remained on scene through mid morning for fire watch. No injuries were reported. The fire destroyed the entire building and damaged neighboring homes along with two construction vehicles that were parked nearby. Investigators were unable to determine the cause of the fire and estimated loss is $910,000.
