Photo courtesy of John Odegard. SEATTLE – At 3:31 a.m., the Seattle Fire Department’s Fire Alarm Center received 911 calls reporting smoke coming from a structure in the 5100 block of S. Holly St. The Fire Alarm Center dispatched an engine and a ladder truck to investigate. Ladder 12 arrived first on scene shortly followed by Engine 28. They reported a working fire that had spread from a single-story garage into a two-story structure. The incident was upgraded to full response for a working structure fire at 3:39 a.m.
On the property is a synagogue, and the two-story structure contained a synagogue-managed funeral home.
Due to the extent of the fire in the garage, firefighters retreated from the garage and began to fight the fire from the exterior. The fire burned through the roof causing it to collapse. Using hand lines and aerial ladders, they battled flames from the ground and from above.
While moving to a defensive attack on the garage, other crews continued with an offensive attack inside the main structure. Firefighters reported smoke and fire in the void space of the second story.
Firefighters got the fire under control but continued to battle flareups and hot spots in the garage. At 6:01 a.m., command reported the fire extinguished.
Most of the fire damage was in the garage and crews reported the fire did not reach any deceased individuals in the funeral home.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Seven engines, four ladder trucks, Rescue Company 1, two medic units, an aid unit and command and support staff responded. In total, more than 50 firefighters responded to the incident.
Update July 9, 2026: Fire investigators ruled the cause of the fire accidental, likely ignited by degraded electrical wires or an overloaded power strip.
