Update: Early-morning house fire in the 9000 block of 16th SW

(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
6:31 AM: We’re checking on a house-fire call in the 9000 block of 16th SW. It appears to have been fairly short-lived, with an investigator called just a few minutes after the original call at 5:09 am, but we’ve gone to the scene to find out.

6:41 AM: According to the investigator on scene, this was another case – like Saturday night’s fire on 14th SW – of an “illegally occupied” house, across the street from the Salvation Army center. Neighbors told fire crews that transients are frequently seen at the site. The front of the building shows significant fire damage; nobody was hurt. Official word of the cause isn’t expected until later.

8:03 AM: Also like the Saturday night fire scene, this house has a record of city-code complaints, including a case listed as “not resolved,” with problems including “vacant, open to entry, overgrown, outdoor storage of junk.”

9:33 AM: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore tells WSB this was an accidental fire: “Transients inhabited the house and created a cooking fire in the living room which resulted in the fire to the vacant home. The estimated dollar loss is $151,000.”

6 Replies to "Update: Early-morning house fire in the 9000 block of 16th SW"

  • Hillary November 19, 2012 (7:14 am)

    Pictures can be found on the King 5 news facebook page. I have called and called about people on the property. In May the police removed people forcibly. We are not surprised this happened.

    • WSB November 19, 2012 (7:15 am)

      We shot photos too. Currently trying to get them off the camera. I haven’t checked the city records yet for the address’s history – TR

  • LJ November 19, 2012 (7:38 am)

    I was driving back from the airport just after 5 am and saw flames shooting up about 15 feet. The front of the house was fully engaged. I called 911 and was impressed by how fast the fire department made it there. Before they arrived it was very surreal being there with flames everywhere and no one around. I felt pretty helpless and was thinking people must be inside at that time of the morning. I truly hope that the reports of no one being hurt are correct.

  • Mike November 19, 2012 (12:49 pm)

    Hillary, It sounds like you are a neighbor. We just started a blockwatch. Our most recent and first meeting was last week. We have a google group if you’d like to keep up to date with the blockwatch via email/forum. You can search google groups for “highland park sw blockwatch” or try the following link.
    https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/swhighlandparkbw

  • F9 November 19, 2012 (6:58 pm)

    Cooking fire in the living room. Yeah, baby.

  • Robert November 22, 2012 (9:04 am)

    sounds like another slum-lord land owner’s case of spontainous combustion of the insurance policy. the building is worth more on fire than cleaned up with renters that have pride in their home.

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