SEATTLE – At 6:05 p.m., our Fire Alarm Center received multiple calls reporting a fire on the top floor unit of a residential building at the 4400 block of 44th Ave SW. A nearby off-duty Seattle firefighter saw flames coming out of the building windows and attempted a primary search and rescue. He located an adult female collapsed in the fire room, but was unable to pull her to safety due to heavy black smoke filling the area. Engine 32 and Ladder 11 were the first units on scene and met with the off-duty firefighter as he was able to confirm the exact location of the occupant in order to expedite a rescue. Engine 32 entered the fire room to pour water on the fire while Ladder 11 found the occupant and rescued her from the building. Paramedics took over medical care and transported her to Harborview Medical Center. The occupant/patient is a 79 year-old female in critical condition.

Additional firefighters arrived on scene to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading throughout the building. The fire was extinguished by 6:40 p.m.

May 15 update: Our investigators determined the fire was accidental and likely caused by an electrical failure. Estimated loss is still pending.

May 17 update: Estimated loss is $350,000.

SEATTLE – Following several recent intentionally set fires in the University District, the Seattle Fire Department and Seattle Police Department are encouraging business owners to take steps to keep their property safe. One of the fires occurred at the 4200 block of University Way NE on May 9 and caused an estimated $150,000 in damage after debris near a building was set on fire and the debris fire extended to the structure. The same morning, two nearby fires were set to debris at the 4500 block of 15th Ave. NE resulting in a combined $10,000 in damage. The Seattle Fire Department is working closely with the Seattle Police Department’s Arson and Bomb Squad to share information on these investigations and other fires in the area. Further details regarding recent fires are kept confidential to maintain the integrity of the investigative process. 

Remember, if you see someone actively setting an illegal fire, call 9-1-1 immediately to report it. Taking the steps below will help to keep your property safe:

The Seattle Fire Department will train new firefighter recruits at a vacant home near the Sunset Hill and Loyal Heights neighborhoods from May 4-6 at 2904 NW 80th 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 13 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. From 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the three days of training, 29th Ave. NW, in between Loyal Way NW and NW 80th St will be closed. Parking along the curbs of both sides of 29th Ave. NW. 100-feet east and west of the houses will be cordoned 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 fire evolutions spread throughout the day each lasting 15-20 minutes. Residents will see smoke as controlled burns are set inside 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. Any questions can be directed to SFD’s Public Affairs division at sfdpio@seattle.gov.

SEATTLE – Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins held a ceremony on April 30 at the Joint Training Facility to promote several members of the organization to new positions. The Fire Chief emceed the ceremony, Chaplain Joel Ingebritson opened with an invocation and Assistant Chief Bryan Hastings gave a motivational speech to members of his Operations Division. Congratulations to all on their new leadership role in the department!

Members promoted (new rank listed):

• Lieutenant Timothy Hammill
• Lieutenant Adrian Navarro
• Lieutenant Charles Hubschman (not pictured)
• Lieutenant Jason Desmarteau
• Lieutenant Jason Fernandez
• Lieutenant Daniel Jones (not pictured)
• Lieutenant Beau Maples
• Lieutenant Tyler Woods
• Lieutenant Brian Root
• Lieutenant Brady Hubler
• Captain Joseph Clegg
• Captain Brian Boulay
• Captain Colin Donnelly (not pictured)
• Battalion Chief Brian Maier (not pictured)
• Battalion Chief Jared Fields (not pictured)
• Deputy Chief Christopher Lombard

SEATTLE – Just after 12:30 p.m. on April 21, Engine 31 was driving through the neighborhood when they noticed black smoke coming from a structure at the 10700 Block of Aurora Ave. N. When crews arrived on scene they observed the fire had quickly taken off and spread throughout the structure, and called for a defensive fire attack. Shortly after, the fire response was upgraded to a 2-alarm to bring in additional firefighting resources from across the City.

Crews applied water on the fire from above with three ladder pipe streams and multiple handlines from the street level. With the advanced stage of the fire, it was too dangerous to send firefighters inside the building, so they continued to apply water from the exterior. The owner of the property stated there were multiple vehicles inside of the metal-framed structure and some propane tanks, which resulted in small explosions throughout the fire fight. Approximately 80% of the roof had burned through, causing structural instability.

No one was inside of the structure at the time the fire broke out, and there were no reported injuries to firefighters. A building to the north and to the south were in close proximity to the fire building, and some smoke escaped into those structures with some accompanying minimal fire damage.

Traffic on Aurora Avenue North was heavily impacted while responding apparatus worked to extinguish the flames. The building will be put on ‘fire watch’ with an engine company posted at the site throughout at least the evening hours to prevent the fire from reigniting.

Fire investigators responded to the scene and have begun their investigation into the cause. Updates on the investigation will be posted here once available.

4/22 UPDATE: Due to structural instability, fire investigators were unable to enter the building to determine a cause and have ruled the fire as “undetermined”. Total estimated loss is $230,000.

Health One 9-1-1 response team staffed with specially trained firefighter/EMTs and case manager helps people with mental/behavioral health or substance use disorder, and non-emergency medical issues access services  

Since November 2019 launch 56 percent of those served by Health One were experiencing homelessness 

SEATTLE (April 13, 2021) – Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and Fire Chief Harold Scoggins announced today the launch of a second Health One unit to expand regular service of the program to Ballard and the University District. The second unit begins operating on April 15 and will be staffed with a team of two specially trained firefighter/EMTs and a case manager from the Human Services Department Aging and Disability Services Division.  

The team will serve people with non-emergency 9-1-1 calls with issues like substance abuse, non-emergency medical issues and a need to access services. Health One continues to focus on providing alternatives to transporting individuals to hospital emergency departments.  

“Seattle has pioneered community safety initiatives like Health One. As we continue to reimagine public safety, we will expand civilian public safety alternatives like Health One that sends a firefighter and social worker to a 9-1-1 call. This next year, we will continue to scale Health One to neighborhoods across Seattle,” said Mayor Durkan. “Our Seattle Fire Department has led the way in serving our community in new ways, and their work is connecting more people to the right resources in our community.”  

With a second Health One unit becoming operational, the program will add Ballard and the University District to its primary service area which also includes the downtown core and Capitol Hill neighborhood. The units can deploy City-wide at the crews’ discretion, and will further reach clients in South Seattle and SODO neighborhoods with the first unit. The second unit will be located at Fire Station 2 in Belltown and operational from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. The program now allows for full weekday operations between the two units. Health One is dispatched through SFD’s Fire Alarm Center by calling 9-1-1 and cannot be contacted by members of the public directly.  

“Health One is now, more than ever, an integral part of Seattle’s crisis response system. Last week I experienced first-hand how an immediate response by a team of case managers and firefighters better connects individuals with necessary care and services,” said Councilmember Lisa Herbold, Chair of the Public Safety and Human Services Committee. “The expansion of Health One to include a second unit today, and a third unit later this year, means that more behavioral health calls can be redirected away from an armed police response to individuals and providers better capable of assisting individuals in need.” 

“We know we need to expand our response to people experiencing homelessness and distress on our city streets and so I applaud the Durkan Administration for expanding this pilot program that combines firefighters and case managers from our Human Services Department to prevent more expensive and dangerous situations throughout Seattle,” said Councilmember Alex Pedersen who represents District 4, which includes the University District neighborhood. “Our shared goal in the University District and throughout Seattle is a more effective intervention that proactively links each person who is in crisis on our streets to the essential mainstream services they need rather than reacting and sending them to expensive visits to emergency rooms or, worse, the criminal justice system.” 

“The expansion of Health One to Ballard will bring the right first responders to many 911 calls in our community. When Health One is not available we respond with a Fire Engine, a Medic One, a Police Officer, an AMR, and a short stay in the Emergency Room without meaningfully addressing why 911 was called in the first place,” said Councilmember Dan Strauss, who represents District 6. “Health One creates lasting solutions for the people they respond to because the two firefighters and case manager triage the individual and connect them with the resources they need to remain stabilized after the 911 response. Health One creates efficiencies in our 911 response system and reduces the number of 911 calls placed because they provide upstream solutions.” 

In 2019, 42 percent of SFD’s medical calls were deemed “low acuity” calls, many of which were related to social service needs including homelessness, mental health, drug and alcohol use and chronic medical issues. Prior to the launch of Health One in late 2019, low-acuity calls dispatched an SFD unit and generally resulted in no action or a non-emergency transport by an ambulance provider to a hospital’s emergency department. In 2020, only 19% of clients seen by the Health One unit resulted in transport to a hospital. The other clients served required on-scene services from Health One, referral to support services or transport to an alternative non-hospital setting.  

“Fifty-six percent of the clients served by Health One in 2020 reported they were experiencing homelessness. From a 26-year-old man looking for a shelter bed to a 92-year-old woman with mobility needs to a 44-year old man with an opioid use disorder, this program has proven to safely and effectively provide services to those who need it most, including our unhoused population. Members staffing these units have received specialized training and always respond with patience and compassion when interacting with clients. We look forward to launching our second unit into service, and expanding our primary service area,” said Fire Chief Harold Scoggins.   

“The Seattle Human Services Department has been a partner in the Health One program since its launch and we are pleased to partner in the further expansion of this important program. Pairing services with frontline emergency responders helps us provide the right level of care for people in need. By expanding this nationally recognized model, we ensure that more people—in more neighborhoods —will get the help they need when they need it. Thank you to the Seattle Fire Department and Mayor Durkan for their leadership on this program,” said Helen Howell, HSD Director. 

In addition to urgent care, referral and transport resources utilized by the program include primary care, next-day appointments, connection with behavioral health organizations, referral to city-contracted homeless outreach providers and shelters, case management within SFD’s High Utilizer and Vulnerable Adult programs, and more. In addition to standard emergency medical services equipment, the vehicle is also equipped with outreach supplies including food, beverages, and clothing for unsheltered clients.  

“Expanding this service is a crucial step in delivering more appropriate care for individuals suffering on the streets of our business districts. We’re excited to host a Health Two response unit in the University District and to see 9-1-1 response shifting to a more service-based model with caseworkers joining first responders on calls.” Don Blakeney, Executive Director of The U District Partnership.

“Seattle Fire Fighters have been responding to and caring for vulnerable members of our community for decades but the Health One program gives us the tools and resources we need to help solve the particularly complex issues many of our neighbors are facing,” said Kenny Stuart, President of Seattle Fire Fighters Union, IAFF Local 27. “Seattle Fire Fighters are excited to see this program expand so we can provide the help these patients need while still maintaining our ability to provide life-saving fire and rescue services when every second matters.” 

The City’s Emergency Response Interdepartmental Team, which consists of SFD, Human Services Department, Seattle Police Department, and Public Health Seattle-King County, continues to assess how the City can best address the needs of the people who most frequently utilize the City’s emergency response system, and how interventions might mitigate challenges faced by emergency responders when engaging with frequent utilizers.