Photo by John Odegard Seattle – At 5:17 a.m., the Seattle Fire Department’s Fire Alarm Center received 911 calls reporting a fire in a six-story apartment building in the 1600 block of E Madison St. in the Central Area and Squire Park neighborhoods. Engine 25 was the first unit on scene and reported smoke and flames visible in a second-floor unit. Firefighters worked quickly to deploy hose lines to the second floor and search the U-shaped building. Crews on the second floor reported smoke throughout the main hallway but were able to locate the apartment unit on fire.
Firefighters put water on the fire and had it under control by 5:33 a.m. Crews searched the second-floor unit to confirm it was all clear and the fire did not extend into the rest of the building. The fire was declared extinguished at 5:50 a.m. Firefighters searched the entire building and confirmed no injuries were reported. Crews remained on scene until 7:05 a.m. to ventilate the building to clear smoke and carbon monoxide.
Investigators ruled the fire as accidental, likely started on or near a couch then extending to the rest of the apartment unit. Unfortunately, the unit is not safe to reoccupy due to damage sustained from the fire.
