Photo by John Odegard Seattle – Overnight, firefighters battled three major fires in separate areas of the city, two of which were fatal.
Belltown fatal apartment building fire:
At 2:03 a.m., Seattle Fire Department’s Fire Alarm Center received multiple 911 calls reporting a fire in an apartment building in the 100 block of Vine St. The first firefighters that arrived on scene reported heavy smoke and flames coming from the third and fourth floors of the building. Firefighters were quick to take action, entering the structure to assist residents in exiting the building.
Heavy smoke conditions in hallways limited visibility and prevented several residents from exiting on their own. Multiple residents were rescued from the structure, including some who were carried out of windows on the third and fourth floors and brought down on ladders.
At 2:14 a.m., incident command upgraded the response to a 2-alarm fire to bring in additional units. Additional personnel were dispatched to assist with the large number of patients:
- Crews performed live-saving efforts on an adult male but were unsuccessful. The patient was pronounced deceased at the scene.
- An adult female in critical condition was transported to Harborview Medical Center by paramedics.
- Five stable patients were transported to several area hospitals in stable condition.
Crews extinguished the fire and continued searching the building and assisting occupants with exiting.
After several hours, residents living on the first, second and fourth floors were able to return to their units. Firefighters assisted residents living on the third floor to collect important belongings. King County Metro brought in a bus for residents to shelter before the American Red Cross arrived on scene.
The fire originated in a unit on the third floor and spread into the hallway and to the above unit on the fourth floor.
The cause of the fire is under investigation and the findings are being shared with the Seattle Police Department to continue the investigation.
The American Red Cross is assisting some displaced residents with temporary shelter.
UPDATED July 11: Investigators ruled the fire was accidental, likely caused by improperly discarded smoking materials.
Beacon Hill fatal house fire:
At 3:58 a.m., Seattle Fire Department’s Fire Alarm Center received a call reporting a fire in a single-family residence in the 4500 block of 12th Ave S. in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. The firefighters first on scene reported a working fire in a one-story house with a basement.
Crews entered the structure and located a person inside. The patient was an approx. 90-year-old female and was pronounced deceased on scene.
By 4:08 a.m., firefighters had water on the fire and got the fire under control. The cause is under investigation.
UPDATED July 11: Investigators ruled the cause of the fire was undetermined.
Ballard house fire:
At 5:02 a.m., Seattle Fire Department’s Fire Alarm Center received a call reporting a fire in a single-family residence in the 7000 block of 12th Ave NW in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. The first crews to arrive on scene reported heavy smoke and flames coming from the one-story house with a basement.
All occupants had exited the home. Firefighters entered the home and began the fire attack. By 5:19 a.m. the fire was under control.
The American Red Cross is assisting three adult displaced residents. The cause of the fire is under investigation and no injuries were reported.
UPDATED July 11: Investigators ruled the fire was accidental, likely caused by improperly discarded smoking materials.