UPDATE: Another fire at 9222 Delridge Way SW boarded-up house

5:38 AM: Seattle Fire has a “full response” arriving at a house in the 9200 block of Delridge Way SW [map].

5:44 AM: SFD describes the house as small and “boarded up.” Firefighters spotted a hole in the floor so they are fighting the fire “defensively” – from outside. Avoid that area of Delridge, as it’s an extensive response, blocking the road.

5:54 AM: Our crew is there; we’ve added a photo. It’s the same house that had a fire back in May, and a deadly fire three years earlier. No word of injuries in this fire so far; firefighters report it’s under control. Note that the address on the SFD log right now is NOT accurate – 9226 is the address for the auto shop to the south, which is NOT involved.

6:04 AM: Some of the SFD units are being dismissed. No one inside, no one hurt, so far as firefighters have determined (update: as of a few minute later, they’re searching again). SFD’s investigator has been summoned to find the fire’s cause. Metro Route 128 is being rerouted, according to an alert just texted/tweeted.

6:27 AM: Route 60 is rerouted too. Meantime, our crew is back and we’ve added another photo. We’ve checked the property’s history, in light of the multiple fires; no complaints listed since 2015, and no redevelopment plans on file.

7:15 AM: Metro says buses are back to regular routes.

12:15 PM: SFD spokesperson Lt. Sue Stangl tells WSB the fire investigator could not determine what caused today’s fire, so it will remain officially “undetermined.”

30 Replies to "UPDATE: Another fire at 9222 Delridge Way SW boarded-up house"

  • Ws resident August 2, 2017 (5:39 am)

    Thank you, was waiting to know what happened.I hope all is safe 

  • Concered citizen August 2, 2017 (5:47 am)

    The smell woke us up. Thick smoke………Abandon house next to Tye Automotive on Delridge. Full Response.

  • Concered citizen August 2, 2017 (6:08 am)

    The plastic smell woke us up around 4:15am. Around 5:30 the smoke got us out the house to investigate. Very thick smoke. 

  • flimflam August 2, 2017 (6:09 am)

    why the city tolerates these squatters is beyond me…

    • WSB August 2, 2017 (6:18 am)

      According to the SDCI log, no complaints filed for the site since 2015. You or anyone else could file one.
      http://web6.seattle.gov/dpd/complaintform/

      There’s been discussion in the election campaign of a “vacant house tax,” though I think that was aimed more at deterring keeping housing off the market, than situations like this. – TR

      • Callie August 2, 2017 (5:51 pm)

        I’m surprised at this as my husband and I have called multiple times about people being in the house just this year.

        • WSB August 2, 2017 (6:08 pm)

          Who did you call? If you didn’t actually file a complaint with SDCI, it wouldn’t show on their log. And one question would be whether they have a trespass agreement with the property owners – if not, there’s a complicated process if they see people at the house, they can’t automatically assume they’re not supposed to be there, believe it or not. – TR

      • M August 2, 2017 (11:31 pm)

        WSB – Is this the same house that you reported on a few months or so ago where a couple of people were located after they held up a bicyclist at gunpoint by the bus stop triangle @ Delridge/18th/Barton?

        • WSB August 3, 2017 (12:03 am)

          I didn’t publish the exact address in coverage of that case so I had to go pay to download the charging document again, but yes indeed, that was 9222 Delridge Way SW. Both adult suspects still in jail, don’t know about the juvenile. – TR

    • fitz4 August 2, 2017 (8:33 am)

      Because it’s hard addressing the squatters problem.   It’s easy (and for kshama, very satisfying) to tax rich people but this is the tough part of leadership and they run from it.

    • Bonnie August 2, 2017 (12:36 pm)

      Flimflam, squeaky wheel gets the grease.  File some complaints if you want something done.

  • Doree Fazio-Young August 2, 2017 (6:10 am)

    Thank u once again WSBlog for keeping us informed totally appreciate u!!!!

  • Corey August 2, 2017 (7:48 am)

    5:30 am. Hear multiple sirens, know it’s a big response.  5:38am WSB is on it with first update. 5:44 am more information and photos followed by multiple updates with property research. WSB is awesome. Thanks for keeping our neighborhood informed. 

    • WSB August 2, 2017 (8:06 am)

      Big thanks to the multiple people who texted.

  • fitz4 August 2, 2017 (8:35 am)

    I would like to see the WS Blog find out who the property owner is.  It’s one thing (and still not excusable) to have an abandoned house in the middle of a recession but where the housing market is now, if you don’t want your house, someone will (over) pay you for it.

    If this owner was letting it sit vacant in an attempt to hold out for more money later, then perhaps the city should bill him/her for the repeated fire truck calls??

    • WSB August 2, 2017 (8:52 am)

      The property owner (as with anything anywhere in the county) is listed in King County Parcel Viewer.

    • Chris Wells August 2, 2017 (8:58 am)

      Those records are fully accessible via city/county records. Try searching for “Seattle parcel search” and that should get you closer.

      The information is freely accessible.

      • WSB August 2, 2017 (9:07 am)

        No, as I noted, it’s King County Parcel Viewer. Google that phrase and it’s the first result. I use it multiple times a day. But since I already have it open along with 40 other tabs, here’s the page for this property.
        http://blue.kingcounty.com/Assessor/eRealProperty/Dashboard.aspx?ParcelNbr=9352900265

        • Jissy August 2, 2017 (9:57 am)

          Houston, TX?  No wonder.

          • Kimbee2 August 2, 2017 (10:50 am)

            That lot and the two others adjacent are “bundled” for one sale to redevelop. The problem is the owner wants too much. Hence, no sale as yet. 

          • MsD August 2, 2017 (11:33 pm)

            It’s hard to imagine a worse punishment on even an absentee slumlord than living in Houston.  Source:  From Houston.

    • Corey August 2, 2017 (9:56 am)

      King county provides parcel information online, including the owner name. There are multiple city agencies  who can be contacted about these properties. The city offers a fid-it-fix it app both online and as a phone app to report issues with these types of properties. There are many community councils, including the South Delridge Community Council trying to address these issues.   Our city council representative Lisa Herbold lives in Highland Park, can be contacted, and holds office hours for her constituents.

      We are the city, and polices are enacted by our actions.  

  • Natalie Kelly August 2, 2017 (11:24 am)

    There are two houses that appear to be vacant and in disrepair just exactly a block over, on 17th Ave SW, almost the same house numbers. I was so worried that the fire trucks were coming there this morning as I’m just a few doors down. What can the city actually do about these kinds of privately owned properties in disrepair?

    • WSB August 2, 2017 (11:28 am)

      This was a little easier to research regarding the last one we covered on 16th SW because there was some action already in process. This one, not, but we’re going to ask SDCI. For starters, though, ANY citizen – as I mentioned earlier in the comment thread, with a link – can file a complaint – there are “vacant building” rules, junk and weeds rules, etc. Followup to come. Also, we’re of course awaiting word on what was determined to be the cause (and last night’s Gatewood fire too fwiw, not a vacant house but still a house fire that brought out a “full response”) … TR

  • Emily August 2, 2017 (11:59 am)

    Blast the city with complaints neighbors!

    At this point, the existing structure is unsafe and should be torn down. The absentee owner might be more motivated to do something with the parcel if faced with the teardown expenses.

    • WSB August 2, 2017 (12:15 pm)

      Thanks to Kimbee for the reminder. I didn’t go far enough into the archives/database. 9222 Delridge was advertised at one point as part of (cut and pasted from ad that was online at the time) – the scratch-pad item I have in our system is from early 2016:
      “Three contiguous development parcels w/ C140 (commercial) zoning; combined total of 13,772 SF w/ 124′ of high-visibility frontage on main thoroughfare. Located in rapidly changing area near several other current development projects. Much potential here: build 12+ residential townhome units, retail, office, etc. Resale value could easily exceed $4 million w/ 40%+ ROI! Parcel info: 9222 Delridge Way SW (9352900265), 9218 18th Ave SW (9352900270), 9200 18th Ave SW (9352900275).”

  • Lisa August 2, 2017 (2:37 pm)

    Looks like a meth fire to me.

    • Falcon August 2, 2017 (9:31 pm)

      And… What are these “signs” that you see that lead you to conclude that it’s a meth fire? How does the SFD miss these signs, but you see it? What does a “meth fire” look like?

  • bolo August 2, 2017 (9:43 pm)

    Don’t they know there’s a burn ban?

  • jn August 9, 2017 (3:17 pm)

    uhm. its called eminent domain… it where the city can take properties away from persons…. they do it in NYC all the time!

    ugh.

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