SEATTLE – Sept. 21 at 12:36 p.m., Engine 27 and Engine 28 responded to a vehicle fire on the Interstate 5 exit ramp to the West Seattle Freeway. Crews arrived to find a garbage truck with fire deep within the inside of the garbage compartment. Additional crews were added to the incident due to the challenging location and limited access to the fire.
Firefighters faced several hazards, including the truck’s position on a high traffic exit ramp and the truck’s compressed natural gas fuel system, which required careful handling to prevent a possible explosion.
Battalion 5 assumed incident command and worked with crews to develop a safe plan to extinguish the fire and move the truck off the freeway.
Two Seattle Fire specialty teams, Rescue 1 and Marine 1, were brought in to assist. Rescue 1 cut access points into the truck’s garbage compartment, while Marine 1 used specialized piercing nozzles, typically used for ship fires, to reach the flames through the metal exterior. These techniques allowed firefighters to get water directly on the fire and get it under control.
Once it was safe, Rescue 1 accessed the driveline so a tow truck could remove the vehicle from the exit ramp. It was escorted by a fire engine to a private facility. Incident command confirmed the fire was fully extinguished and released the truck back to the company. All crews returned to service by 4:59 p.m.
More than 30 firefighters responded, including Engine 27, Engine 28, Engine 13, Engine 30, Engine 32, the Battalion 5 Chief, Rescue 1 and Marine 1.
The exit ramp was closed for several hours during firefighting efforts. The Washington State Patrol and the Washington State Department of Transportation also responded and assisted in blocking the road to ensure the safety of those on scene.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
