Seattle — At 6:23 a.m., the Seattle Fire Department’s Fire Alarm Center received 911 calls reporting a fire in a building under construction in the 900 block of NW 54th St. in the Ballard and Woodland neighborhoods. The first units on scene reported smoke and flames coming from a three-story building under construction that began to extend into an occupied eight-unit townhome to the east. In addition, a second building under construction to the west was at risk.
The incident was upgraded to a 3-alarm fire requesting additional resources. Over 100 firefighters were dispatched in 16 fire engines, 8 ladder trucks, Rescue 1 and additional support units.
Firefighters worked quickly to evacuate the townhome and put water on the fire. The primary building on fire collapsed, and fire extended into the second and third floors of the townhome. One person, an approx. 25-year-old female, was treated on scene and did not require transportation to a hospital.
By 10 a.m., crews had both fires under control and prevented it from spreading to the second building under construction. A few units will remain on scene throughout the day to extinguish hot spots and monitor for flare ups. The incident is under investigation.
Updated Feb. 10: Investigators ruled the cause of the fire as undetermined.
