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News and events from the Seattle Fire Department

Cook safely, and have a happy Thanksgiving!

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The Seattle Fire Department reminds residents to be safe while cooking and gathering this holiday season. Thanksgiving is the leading day for home cooking-related fires. Other holiday-related home fires involve heating and electrical sources.

Before starting your holiday cooking, be sure to test your smoke alarms by pushing the “test” button.

Cooking Safety Tips

  • Check on food regularly while cooking – unattended cooking is the number one cause of home fires.
  • Keep children and pets at least 3 feet away for the stove.
  • Involve children in preparing foods that are not hot.
  • Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children or up high in a locked cabinet.
  • If a fire starts on the stove top, cover it with a lid or metal cookie sheet and turn the stove off. Do not throw water on a grease fire.
  • Remove flammables such as towels, oven mitts and food packaging away from the stove top.
  • Leave turkey frying to the professionals, as large quantities of hot cooking oil pose a significant fire and serious burn risk.
    • If you still plan to deep fry a turkey, then here are a few safety tips to consider:
      • Turkey must be completely thawed and dry. Excess water in contact with hot grease can cause a boil-over fire.
      • At least two people should be involved in this process.
      • Setup your deep fryer outside and at least 10 feet away from your home. Do not use a covered space such as a garage or awning.
      • If it’s raining or snowing, consider it a NO-GO! Remember, water in contact with hot grease can cause a boil-over fire.
      • Purpose-built turkey frying kits often provide indicators for how much oil to use.
      • If you are using a regular pot, then a method of measuring how much grease to use is to set the turkey in the cool pot and add water until it is completely submerged. Then remove the turkey. The remaining water line is a measurement for how much oil to use. Remember to dry the turkey!
      • Turn off the burner before lowering and raising the turkey from the fryer.
      • Use a broom stick and metal hook to slowly lower the turkey into the hot oil. This prevents hot oil from splashing directly onto you. Use the same technique to slowly raise and drain the turkey once it’s cooked.
      • It takes approximately three minutes per pound to cook a turkey in peanut oil at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
      • Do not leave the fryer unattended when heating

2-Alarm fire in Northgate

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Ladder 5 with ladder extending to rooftop of building fire.

Photo by John Odegard

SEATTLE – At 10:39 a.m., a neighbor called 911 reporting visible smoke in a 4-story apartment building on the 10500 block of 8th Ave NE. Engine 39 was the first crew on-scene and confirmed light smoke coming from a unit on the 4th floor. When they made it to the unit they realized it was unoccupied and made forcible entry into the condo to discover a well involved fire originating from the natural gas fireplace. The incident was immediately upgraded to a full response fire as more crews arrived to supply water and provide search and rescue efforts.

Apartment unit with visible smoke

Photo by John Odegard

At 11:04 a.m. the incident escalated to a 2-alarm fire where more than 25 fire engines, trucks and supporting units responded (more than 70 firefighters). Ladder 9 helped a non-ambulatory occupant down a stairwell furthest away from the fire room. Then made entry into the fire room with a hose line in place to get water directly onto the fire. Engine 24 completed a primary search of the fire room and confirmed no occupants were inside. Additional crews evacuated all occupants of the effected hallway on the 4th floor. Ladder 5, Ladder 6 and additional crews made it onto the roof of the apartment building to cut ventilation corridors and inspect the attic space for areas where the fire spread. The building’s cockloft, a void space in-between the roof and ceiling, was exposed so crews worked hard to control the fire and prevent it from spreading to other units.

Photo by John Odegard

By 11:24 a.m., crews had the fire under control and continued to inspect the building for possible extensions or hot spots. Puget Sound Energy and Seattle City Light responded to help shut down natural gas lines and electricity to the building as a safety precaution.

Fire investigators determined the fire was accidental and originated in an overheated natural gas fireplace where the flue got hot enough to ignite insulation and surrounding wood rafters in the ceiling and attic void space. Estimated loss is $100,000 to the structure and $10,000 in contents. No injuries were reported.

Trial by fire for Seattle’s newest firefighters

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The Seattle Fire Department will train new firefighter recruits at two vacant homes in the Roosevelt neighborhood from Oct. 28-31 at 815 and 821 NE 66th St. Live-fire training is an opportunity for our new fire recruits to work with our officers and face real fire scenarios in a controlled setting. This experience is vital to the development of new recruits as these fires act as a final evaluation of what they have learned over the past 12 weeks of training and focus on fire attack, teamwork and communication.

We conduct this training exercise twice a year in the city and make every effort to minimize the impact on the neighborhood. Local streets will be closed to ensure the safety of the community as well as the firefighters in training. NE 66th St. between 8th Ave. NE and Roosevelt Way NE will be closed from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Parking along the curbs of both sides of NE 66th St. 100-feet east and west of the houses will be coned off. Firefighters will help direct access to that block for residents in the immediate area. We recognize that this training exercise may present inconveniences to your daily schedules and we thank you for your patience and understanding. Our firefighters are among the best in the nation because of the training we are able to provide and because of the support we receive from our community.

On each day, we plan to have 4-5 fires spread throughout the day lasting 15-20 minutes. Residents will see smoke as controlled burns are set at the vacant structures. All carpet, plastics and toxic synthetic materials have been removed along with required asbestos abatement. The training officers will set wood fires in a controlled method with safety officers on-hand during the exercises. This training is conducted under the strict regulations and rules of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. The smoke coming from the buildings during the live-fire is equivalent to smoke from a fireplace. After the fires are out, most of what you see coming from the structure is steam.

Neighbors are welcome to come and watch the live-fire training. Typical training days begin around 7 a.m. with the live-fire training starting at 9 a.m. and lasting until 5 p.m.

You’re invited: Fall Festival at Capitol Hill Fire Station 25

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SEATTLE – Members of the Capitol Hill community are invited to attend a Fall Festival at Fire Station 25 to meet their local firefighters and police officers, participate in fun activities and learn fall fire safety tips. Activities include pumpkin carving and drawing, cornhole, fire safety activities, and a live pumpkin carving demonstration at 7:30 p.m. by the Fire Station 25 crew. If you plan to carve a pumpkin, please bring one with you. Light refreshments and apple cider will be provided. Costumes are welcome.

  • Who: Seattle Firefighters, East Precinct Police Officers and Capitol Hill community members
  • What: Fall Festival at Fire Station 25
  • Who: Fire Station 25 (1300 E. Pine St.)
  • When: Tuesday, Oct, 28, 2019 from 6-8 p.m.

Fire at UW Medical Center

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SFD incident command unit on scene for fire at UW Medical Center

Oct. 2 at 3:19 p.m. – Our Fire Alarm Center received multiple calls reporting heavy smoke originating from the lobby floor of UW Medical Center’s Cascade Tower. Engine 31 was the first company to arrive on scene and determined the fire was confined to a medical supply room. When the fire alarms activated, occupants of the lobby floor safely evacuated with the assistance of UWPD and Public Safety. The building’s sprinkler system was able to contain the fire while our crews extinguished it by 3:36 p.m.

Fire damage was minimal, but water damage from the sprinkler system was significant. Our fire investigation unit determined the fire to be accidental and caused by faulty lithium batteries that ignited in a storage bin. Estimated cost of the damages are yet to be determined. Fortunately, no injuries were reported and no patients were significantly impacted. Our crews were able to ventilate the facility to prevent interruptions to ongoing medical operations.

Time to test your smoke alarm

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As the days get shorter and with cold weather on the horizon, now is a good time to test your smoke alarm and replace their batteries. If it is more than 10 years old, it might be time to replace them with new ones.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in properties without working smoke alarms. A working smoke alarm significantly increases your chances of surviving a deadly home fire.

The Seattle Fire Department recommends that you install at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home and in each bedroom.

Do you need smoke alarms in your home? You may qualify for free combination smoke/CO alarms from the Seattle Fire Department if you meet the following criteria:

  • You live in the City of Seattle
  • You own and live in your home
  • You are living on a low income, are a senior citizen or have a disability.

Seattle residents who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing may qualify for a free strobe smoke alarm. If you fit these criteria and wish to request the installation of smoke alarms in your home, call the Seattle Fire Department at (206) 386-1337 or send us an email to learn more about this program.

September 2019 Promotion Ceremony

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SEATTLE – On Sept. 23, 2019, the Seattle Fire Department held a promotional ceremony at our headquarters to appoint four firefighters to new positions. The event was emceed by Fire Chief Scoggins. The following employees were promoted:


James Collins to Captain

Craig Patterson to Lieutenant

Matthew Lujan to Lieutenant

Matthew Turri to Lieutenant

Welcoming Sarah Smith

Sarah Smith joins us as an Admin Spec III to help us in our operations. She has a degree in Political Science and came from the Seattle YMCA where she served as a Senior Program Director. Welcome aboard!

Dump truck collision on 1st Ave. and Yesler Way

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Photo by John Odegard

At 9:42 a.m., our we received multiple 911 calls reporting a dump truck experiencing a catastrophic mechanical failure while traveling westbound, downhill on James St. The truck struck a pedestrian on 2nd Ave., then collided with three vehicles before crashing into a Subway restaurant located on the intersection of 1st Ave., Yesler Way and James St.

We have identified a total of five patients who were treated on the scene:

  1. Pedestrian hit at 2nd and James St was an approx. 33 year old male transported to Harborview Medical Center in stable condition.
  2. 25 year old female driver of a white commercial van that was struck near 1st and James St. She was transported to Harborview Medical Center in serious condition.
  3. 51 year old male pedestrian reportedly standing on the sidewalk in front of the Subway restaurant. He was transported to Harborview Medical Center in stable condition.
  4. 44 year old male male reportedly inside the Subway restaurant during the collision. He was transported to Harborview Medical Center in stable condition.
  5. 37 year old female driver of the dump truck was an adult female who suffered minor injuries and did not require transportation to a hospital.
Photo by John Odegard

By 10:10 a.m., our Rescue One company and additional firefighters safely extricated the patient in the white commercial van as well as the driver of the dump truck. Ten minutes later, our incident commander ordered a building evacuation while Seattle City Light cut electricity and Puget Sound Energy secured natural gas lines. This was a precautionary measure as the collision may have caused structural damage. Once everyone was evacuated, crews began extricating the dump truck. Primary and secondary searches confirmed no additional occupants were found inside the building. At 11:30 a.m., the scene was transferred to the Seattle Police Department.

August 2019 Promotional Ceremony

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Group photo of promoted firefighters.

SEATTLE – On Aug. 8, 2019, the Seattle Fire Department held a promotional ceremony at our headquarters to appoint three firefighters to new positions. The event was emceed by Fire Chief Scoggins. The following employees were promoted:



Lon Warr to Engineer

Ryan Skedd to Lieutenant

Matthew Anderson to Lieutenant

Chris Santos Celebrating 25 Years

Chris Santos and Fire Chief Scoggins

Recognizing Chris Santos, Director of Finance, for serving the department for over 25 years. He currently oversees the performance of various financial functions such as budgeting, accounting, payroll and contracting.



Sabrina Simpson’s Promotion

Sabrina Simpson and Fire Chief Scoggins

Sabrina has worked with the department’s Medic One staff for more than two years and was recently promoted to Admin Staff Assistant. Congrats!






Welcoming Leonard Cheever

Leanard Cheever joins us as our Fleet Services Manager to oversee the maintenance and operations of our fire engines, ladder trucks, ambulances and other support units. Welcome aboard!

2-Alarm Fire in Mt. Baker Neighborhood

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2-alarm fire in Mt. Baker neighborhood of Seattle, WA.

Our Fire Alarm Center received a 9-1-1 call at 9:47 p.m. reporting a house on fire at the 3200 block of 37th Place S.. The first engine company arrived at 9:50 p.m. and confirmed a working external fire on the rear deck of a two-story single-family house that quickly extended into the first floor. They also confirmed the sole resident of the home was safely evacuated.

At 09:52 p.m., the incident was escalated to a 2-alarm response because the fire extended to the north and south sides of the house. Exposing the two neighboring homes. A total of eight engine and four ladder companies were dispatched along with supporting units. As all crews arrived on scene, the Deputy One Chief assumed command and divided the crews into two divisions: North Branch to work on the fire that extended to the neighboring home; and South Branch to work on the fire at the house of origin.

2-alarm fire in Mt. Baker neighborhood of Seattle, WA.

At 10:10 p.m., South Branch reported the deck (where the fire started) collapsed, exposing the entire rear side of the house to the fire. Crews were able to complete a primary search of the house to confirm no occupants were inside. By 10:13 p.m., Seattle Public Utilities secured the natural gas lines to both homes. At 10:17 p.m., crews had the fire knocked down and gained control of the fire at the house of origin by 10:32 p.m.

The North Branch confirmed the fire extended to the rear deck of the neighboring home and crept into the attic. Crews had the fire under control by 10:21 p.m. and were able to conduct a primary search to confirm no occupants were inside.

2-alarm fire in Mt. Baker neighborhood of Seattle, WA.

From 10:33 p.m. and onward, all crews knocked down the fires then began checking for additional exposures and hot spots throughout both homes. Secondary searches were completed shortly thereafter and confirmed no occupants were inside and no injuries reported. Fire Investigators were unable to determine the cause of the fire because of the structural collapse of the deck. Estimated total loss is $650,000.