Update 7/16: Further information on this incident will be provided by Seattle Police Depart or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
At 4:52 a.m., 9-1-1 dispatchers received several calls reporting a fire in a three-story motel in the 2400 block of Aurora Ave N. Four minutes later, Engine 9 arrived first on-scene and reported smoke coming from the north side of the building. All occupants were out of the motel except for one person, who was rescued by firefighters from a third- story back window using a ladder.
At 5:06 a.m., Seattle Fire’s incident commander upgraded the incident to a Multiple Casualty Incident as crews identified seven patients requiring medical attention. Three adults were in critical condition and paramedics transported them to Harborview Medical Center. Three additional adults in stable condition were also transported to Harborview via an aid car and two AMR units. The seventh patient sustained minor injuries and did not require transportation to a hospital.
At 5:16 a.m., the Incident commander upgraded the response to a 2-alarm fire to assist with search and rescue and pull apart interior walls to gain access to the fire. Access to the west side of the building was challenging due to a wall on the north side and a narrow staircase on the south side that was also being used by occupants to evacuate the building.
The fire was extinguished by 6:10 a.m., and one firefighter sustained minor injuries. At the height of the fire, there were 14 engine companies, eight ladder companies and six medic units.