West Seattle Blog…

Update: Electrical problem suspected in Upper Alki fire

(Photo by Patrick Sand for WSB)
1:23 PM: Big response right now to the 2300 block of Halleck, which is in Upper Alki (map), for a reported house fire. Police are headed that way too, to help with traffic control. More to come.

1:33 PM UPDATE: First crews on scene reported (via scanner) “light smoke” and a suspicion that this is an electrical fire. They say it is under control.

(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
1:53 PM UPDATE: Some crews have been canceled. We’ve added a photo from WSB’s Christopher Boffoli. There’s word of one possible injury – WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand, who also went to the scene, says medics are checking out someone with a possible knee injury (neighborhood person, not firefighter), but we don’t know the circumstances.

1:59 PM UPDATE: The injury is now reported not to be related to the fire. Have added another photo, this time from Patrick, showing the actual structure where the fire happened – construction has been under way there.

Update: Plumbing work blamed for starting South Delridge fire

10:35 PM: In South Delridge, crews are at a house fire in the 9000 block of 21st SW, just reported as under control and almost out.

10:39 PM: According to SFD, the fire started “in a wall,” according to the first report they got. They’re still checking on some possible hot spots in the attic. SFD says no injuries have been reported.

TUESDAY MORNING UPDATE: SFD public-information officer Kyle Moore says they’ve determined the fire was accidental:

The occupant of the home was working on plumbing when the heat from the plumbing work ignited the wall and extended into the attic space.

At 10:10 p.m., a call came in the Fire Alarm Center reporting flames coming from the wall of a home in the 9000 block of 21st Avenue SW. Engine Company 11 arrived to find smoke coming from the roof of the two-story home. The firefighters used an attack hose line to knock down the flames while the first in Ladder Company searched the residence for occupants and then headed to the roof to cut holes in order to vent the smoke and heat.

Firefighters discovered the fire inside the walls of the home. The flames extended up the walls into the attic. Crews removed two walls and brought down ceilings in order to completely extinguish the flames. It took approximately 30 minutes to completely knock down this fire.

Three occupants safely evacuated the home and there were no reported injuries. The damage estimate is $65,000 to the structure and $5,000 to the contents.

Update: 4 escape accidental fire south of Morgan Junction

(Photos by Tony Bradley)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 7:11 PM: Big Fire Department response to the 6900 block of California Avenue SW right now, possible house fire, though the first engines are not seeing any flames.

7:14 PM UPDATE: Apparently a small fire that’s out, but there’s a big traffic backup because the fire units are blocking California SW northbound – avoid the area (California/Frontenac vicinity).

7:32 PM UPDATE: Firefighters are calling for Red Cross help for two adults and two children who got out OK but will need some place to stay.

7:59 PM UPDATE: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore tells us this started as a kitchen fire and was indeed tapped within 10 minutes. Medics evaluated one person, but no treatment was needed.

11:59 PM UPDATE: Moore has more info on the fire – investigators confirm it was an accidental cooking fire, with damage estimated at $10,000 to the structure, $10,000 to contents.

Update: West Seattle house burns; fireplace blamed

(Added 4:18 am – photo courtesy Gabe)
3:38 AM: If you’ve heard the sirens – big response to a house fire reported in the 5200 block of 45th SW (near Erskine, southwest of The Junction). First firefighters to respond have described the house over the radio as “well-involved” in flames, and also say everyone got out OK. More to come.

3:56 AM UPDATE: Firefighters have radioed that the fire is under control on the main floor of the house.

(Photos/video from here down: By WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
4:02 AM UPDATE: Our crew is there and says it’s still an intensive firefighting scene – the cameraphone photo above shows firefighters working with their air supply. The house itself is hard to see from the street because of trees/shrubs. Still no injuries reported.

4:19 AM UPDATE: Fire now reported “tapped,” which means, basically, out – firefighters had been working to ventilate (cut roof and/or siding holes) the house to make sure they’d gotten to all possible spots. Just added the photo at the top of the story – Gabe took that from a balcony overlooking the house, explaining, “We woke up to the neighbor across the street screaming ‘Help!’ and seeing his house on fire!”

4:52 AM UPDATE: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore is at the scene and just briefed us (will add video of his briefing when our crew’s back, along with a few more photos). He says one man was inside the home when this started.

He told investigators that he had a fire going in the fireplace; spark/fire jumped from it, ignited something, and he tried to put it out but it spread too fast.

5:30 AM UPDATE: Added the aforementioned briefing video. Investigators are working to confirm the fireplace suspicion.

9:38 AM UPDATE: $150,000 damage, according to SFD, whose official online update is here.

Fire response in South Delridge: Barbecue trouble

6:13 PM: If you’re seeing/hearing the fire response to the 9400 block of 20th SW, near 20th/Cambridge (map) – according to radio communication, it’s a small fire that firefighters believe began with a barbecue. No report of any injuries.

6:52 PM UPDATE: Firefighters on scene confirmed they were dealing with a barbecue-caused fire, no major damage.

Update: Basement fire at Fauntleroy Way house, no one hurt

(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
FIRST REPORT, 1:13 PM: Avoid Fauntleroy Way SW south of the Triangle – there’s a big fire-department response for a house fire in the 5000 block (map).

1:21 PM UPDATE: Firefighters are actively fighting what’s described as a basement fire in a one-story home. We’ve added a photo from WSB’s Christopher Boffoli. No word of injuries so far – firefighters are searching to make sure there’s no one inside. Again, Fauntleroy is blocked by fire units – so take alternate routes.

1:26 PM UPDATE: The fire is “tapped” – the first milestone of major progress – but firefighters are being warned to be careful in the room where it started, because of what was described on the scanner as “a possible hazardous situation” involving “needles on the floor.”

1:45 PM UPDATE: The fire has since been reported as “out.” SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore is on the scene so our crews are getting a summary from him shortly.

1:51 PM UPDATE: Moore confirms no injuries; firefighters did encounter very thick smoke upon arrival, and that plus the results of the firefighting operation make it unlikely the home’s residents will be getting back in any time soon. Regarding the needles, he says a box of hypodermic needles was in the basement and got knocked over, but doesn’t know anything more regarding why they were there. No cause determined so far. Fauntleroy’s still likely to be blocked in the area for a while, an hour or so, he thinks. We have his briefing on video and will add here when it’s uploaded. (added – here it is)

3:29 PM UPDATE: Fauntleroy is open again through the fire zone, so you won’t have a problem during the commute. Still awaiting word from SFD on the cause.

MONDAY UPDATE: The cause, from SFD spokesperson Moore:

Seattle Fire Investigators determined a fire at a West Seattle Home on Friday was accidental. Fire investigators determined the basement bedroom fire was most likely caused by an unattended candle or improperly discarded smoking materials.

The first 911 call came in 1:05 p.m. to reports of flames visible from a one-story home with basement in the 5000 block of Fauntleroy Way SW. The firefighter/paramedics from Medic Unit 31 arrived first and made sure all occupants were safely outside the house. Firefighters ran hose lines to the basement. It took about 12 minutes to knock the flames down.

The American Red Cross was called for the two female and five male occupants who were displaced by the fire. No one was injured.

Fire investigators estimate the fire caused $30,000 damage to the structure and $15,000 to the contents.

Fire call in Highland Park: Microwave to blame

12:10 PM: On our way to a house-fire call in the 1200 block of SW Webster.

12:18 PM UPDATE: At the scene. Units rolling up. It was a microwave problem, they told us.

Arbor Heights fire 1 year later: 2 construction projects, soon

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

One year ago tonight, one of West Seattle’s most ferocious fires in years destroyed a home in the 10200 block of 41st SW in Arbor Heights.

We wouldn’t usually revisit a fire on its first anniversary. This one, however, affected the lives not only of the home’s owners and renters, but also of those who live in the surrounding area.

It revealed “fire flow” water-system shortfalls that left some of the firefighters helpless for many long minutes to stop the roaring flames destroying the home and threatening to spread. Photos like this one showed their lines, waiting to be filled:

The problems even resulted in a City Council briefing, and a plan for improvements.

So tonight, we look at what’s happened since. First: The immediate effects of the fire – a home, destroyed. What was left of the gutted house was torn down, and the lot remains empty to this day (as reflected even in the official county online records). We went by this morning:

This evening, we spoke by phone with Renée, whose sister was at the time of the fire renting the house, which is owned by their parents. She told WSB the family expects to build a new home on the site by the end of this year. Along with the water-main work that the city is planning, that means two construction projects are about to begin in the wake of the August 27, 2011, fire, that sent up black smoke visible for miles around:

Click to read the rest of Arbor Heights fire 1 year later: 2 construction projects, soon…

Update: Fire call near Westwood Village blamed on barbecue

8:48 PM: A “fire in building” call has sent a big response is en route to 22nd and Barton, just east of Westwood Village.

8:58 PM UPDATE: Nothing major – only one engine still left on the scene. A police officer says fire crews told him it was a kitchen problem; we’re waiting to confirm that directly with SFD.

9:01 PM UPDATE: SFD lieutenant says it was a case of ignition-fluid flareup with a barbecue on the third floor. No major damage from that, but they had to kick in a door to get into the unit. No one hurt. We’ve added our photo above showing smoke still hanging in the air (after something like this, one big job for firefighters is to help get the scene ventilated).

Update: Garage fire on Marine View Drive, no injuries

4:20 AM: Big response to 11200 block of Marine View Drive. Via the scanner, crews are saying it’s a “small fire in the garage” of a home.

4:45 AM: Added photo from our crew at the scene. Over the radio, the fire has been called as “tapped.” No report of injuries so far.

4:59 AM: According to SFD spokesperson Lt. Sue Stangl at the scene, the smoke detector went off, awakening the homeowner, who called 911 and got everybody out safely. They don’t know yet what caused the fire, but she confirmed it was contained to the garage – lots of smoke, not a lot of flames. We’ll follow up later, after investigators have had a chance to figure out how it started.

5:28 AM: They figured it out fast. Lt. Stangl just tweeted that the fire has been ruled “accidental/electrical.”

Followup: Pickup-truck fire blamed on spontaneous combustion; homeowners thank firefighters

(Video and photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
New information today on the Genesee-area garage/pickup-truck fire last night covered by WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli (here’s our original story). We heard today from homeowner Kristiana Lockman, who says, “We lost both the truck and the garage, which will have to be torn down and replaced.” Her husband owns WEdesign (WSB sponsor); she says the fire is believed to have been caused by “the spontaneous combustion of rags (in the back of the truck) that were used to stain a client’s deck,” and we have confirmed that with Seattle Fire spokesperson Lt. Sue Stangl.

Kristiana adds, “We’re very relieved that we were home when it happened and that no one was hurt. And we’re immensely grateful to the two teams of firemen who responded quickly. They were efficient, kind and went out of their way to be helpful, even helping my husband board up the garage and the fence that was cut into before they left. … We’re grateful they do what they do so well.”

Update: House-fire call near Fauntleroy Park

12:27 PM: En route to a house-fire call in the 9300 block of Forest Court SW, which is near Fauntleroy Park. Most of the units are being canceled, so it’s not major. More to come.

12:48 PM: Finally got there to check (it’s on a secluded dead-end street). Kitchen problem – “food on the stove,” as the official Fire Department term for such incidents puts it. No serious damage, no injuries, SFD tells us.

Update: Small fire at Alki fourplex, no one hurt

(Photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
3:04 AM: Big response for what so far sounds like a relatively small fire in the 2600 block of Alki 59th SW. It’s already “tapped,” per the scanner, and most of the units are being canceled. Thanks to everyone who has called and texted. More to come.

(That photo and next two, courtesy Josh & Ali Daniels)
3:20 AM: Crews are already checking the ventilation of the building where the small fire happened and getting ready to let residents go back in, according to radio traffic. Our crew is almost there to doublecheck on the scene. The reason it sounded so big is that the initial callout for a “fire in building” call is always big – 15 units, in this case – easier to get everything going and then pull back, rather than to get there and find out you need more.

3:34 AM: Our crew at the scene talked with the building’s owner, who confirmed something we had heard via scanner in the early going – the fire is believed to have been a case of floor solvents spontaneously combusting – he says one of the tenants had been doing some floor work. No injuries reported, and everything’s wrapping up at the scene, which is on 59th immediately north of the Alki Playfield tennis courts.

4:09 AM: Thanks to Josh & Ali Daniels (who run JayLee Photography) for sharing some photos taken before we got there – including the one above this line, showing how smoky the scene was for a while.

9:29 AM: The official Seattle Fire account is here – only added detail is that damage totaled $500.

Update: West Seattle Water Taxi evacuated after engine-room smoke; service resumed late morning

(TOPLINE: Water Taxi evacuated 7:30 am after smoke led captain to return it to dock. Service resuming at 11:30 from Pier 50 with Melissa Ann)

(Added, photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB – firefighters on board Rachel Marie)
FIRST REPORT, 7:38 AM: Just got an alert that the West Seattle Water Taxi is having mechanical trouble and has returned to Seacrest. Jana, who was on the sailing, tweeted that a “strong smell (was) emanating from the engine room.”

And now the Fire Department is headed there as a fire response. More to come.

(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
7:45 AM UPDATE: About half the units have been canceled, as they have determined it’s not a major fire after all, but what’s there is still causing a traffic jam-up at Seacrest in addition to having interrupted Water Taxi service.

7:50 AM UPDATE: And yes, if you’ve heard a helicopter, it’s related – at least one media chopper was checking out the situation. Per scanner, we’re hearing that they have not found flames – just some “burned wires” so far. Updated a few minutes later – apparent “burned-out alternator.” A city fireboat is at Seacrest too – just added photo from WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli.

8:05 AM UPDATE: Harbor Avenue remains blocked around Seacrest. Thanks to Toni for this overview:

No indication of injuries at this point. Update regarding service, from Christopher:

Rachel Marie captain Tara Rochester tells me that they had just departed Seacrest for downtown when the Rachel Marie started to fill with smoke. They returned to the dock. Everyone got off OK. One of the engines was on fire. Rochester says no replacement vessel available now but they’ll probably have something worked out for the afternoon.

8:20 AM UPDATE: April, who’s on board the 37 after having been evacuated from the Water Taxi when it returned, says she and others then had to wait to get through on Harbor. In comments, Paul says the road has just reopened, and WSB’s Patrick Sand at the scene has just confirmed that.

8:27 AM UPDATE: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore has briefed the media at the scene. He says captain Rochester did all the right things in getting Rachel Marie back to the dock so everyone could get out safely. The fire was confined to the engine room. TRAFFIC UPDATE – Patrick reports that while traffic is being allowed to use Harbor going TOWARD the bridge, the westbound direction toward Seacrest is still blocked at Fairmount.

9:03 AM UPDATE: Harbor Avenue has reopened, according to police. Here’s our video of the briefing by SFD’s Moore:

Water Taxi management says via a text alert, “Plans for repairs and resuming service are under way.”

(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
10:38 AM UPDATE: Forwarded by County Councilmember Joe McDermott, who chairs the board that oversees the King County Ferry District, including Water Taxi matters, an update from Paul Brodeur, county Marine Division director:

This morning’s incident on the RM was a failed alternation on the port generator.

This is a small (one gallon milk jug size) 12 volt electrical unit that charges the batteries which start the prime mover. Just to put it in perspective, your car has one of these alternators which also charges your cars battery. This failure caused smoke -NO FIRE – When the captain was notified of the smoke, she took appropriate action and the trained crew responded by securing fuel and air to the engineroom.She secured the vessel at the dock and the crew debarked the passengers with no injuries. The Us Coast Guard and the Seattle fire department responded and Seattle fire provided assistance.

The USCG is currently aboard and taking crew statements. We are awaiting their investigation and permission to move the vessel back to pier 50 at which time service can resume using the Melissa Ann.

11:14 AM UPDATE: The Rachel Marie has headed downtown (per MarineTraffic.com and a sighting from Sunny near the pier). We’ll update when we see/hear Melissa Ann taking its place. (A few minutes later) From Councilmember McDermott: “We are notifying passengers that we will resume West Seattle service with the 11:30 a.m. Pier 50 sailing. Our current plan is to repair the Rachel Marie this afternoon in time for the afternoon/evening sailings.”

4:10 PM UPDATE: Jeff Switzer with King County DOT confirms that Rachel Marie has been fixed and cleared to return to service, and should be leaving downtown around 4:15 pm.

Update: Apartment fire in South Delridge ruled accidental

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand; top picture substituted 1:49 pm for original iPhone pic)
1:02 PM: Big response headed to a fire call at an apartment building in the 9000 block of 20th SW (map). First arrivals are seeing some smoke from the building’s fourth floor, per scanner traffic. We’ll have updates from the scene shortly.

1:10 PM: Fire’s under control, per scanner.

1:13 PM: Added photo from the scene. Smoke no longer showing from the building.

1:22 PM: Fire’s reported out. Still some traffic trouble in the area (Delridge/20th). We’re expecting to talk soon to the incident commander for more official information.

1:30 PM: Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore is there and we should be talking with him soon. We’ve also heard from the neighbor who says he called 911 to report the fire, Jeff at eGreen Landscaping, whose business is right next door on Delridge: “We reported it to 911 and then ran up and alerted the building manager, who hit the building fire alarm.”

1:35 PM: Moore says the fire was confined to a bedroom in one apartment. No injuries. (Update: Here’s video of his briefing:)

Investigators are working to figure out how it started; all the other residents will be allowed to go back inside. The woman who lived in the burned unit wasn’t home at the time; her cat might have been inside, and fire crews were looking for it.

5:23 PM UPDATE: Seattle Fire has just published a report here – saying the fire has been ruled accidental, and was “likely” started by a lamp in the bedroom. The report also notes that damage is estimated at $45,000 – and that the resident was reunited with her cat.

Update: Woman found dead in burned Fauntleroy apartment

(UPDATED TUESDAY AFTERNOON with cause of fire)

2:29 AM: If you’ve been hearing the sirens, there’s a fire response at apartments in the 9100 block of 45th in Fauntleroy (map). More to come.

2:36 AM UPDATE: The fire is “tapped,” according to the scanner. It’s in the end unit of a garden-style apartment building.

2:55 AM UPDATE: Firefighters have been working to make sure the fire hadn’t spread beyond the apartment where it began. As for whether anyone was hurt, the incident commander is deferring comment until the public-information officer arrives.

3:47 AM UPDATE: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore says a woman was found dead inside the apartment where the fire broke out – after the fire was knocked down, firefighters found the body of what Moore described as an elderly woman, about 10 to 12 feet inside. (added) Here’s his briefing, unedited:

They’re still trying to find out what started the fire; so far, Moore said, it appears to have started in the living room, which is where the victim was found. He said she was a longtime resident of the second-floor unit, to which the fire was contained. The fire was called in by neighbors, who, according to Moore, banged on the door to try to see if the woman was OK – but got no reply.

4:32 AM: One more note – the address of the building has been corrected from the original dispatch; it’s in the 9000 block of 45th SW, not the 9100 block. We’ll update this story later when there’s new information from investigators.

2:02 PM UPDATE: Investigators say the fire was started by “improperly discarded smoking materials.” Here’s the update on SFD’s Fire Line site. Cause of death and identification will have to come from the Medical Examiner, possibly later this afternoon.

Update: Terrarium fire in Arbor Heights home, quickly extinguished

8:49 PM: Seattle Fire Department crews are arriving at a home near 39th and 102nd and reporting “light smoke” visible. We’re on the way and will have updates as more information is available. It does not appear to be a major fire, though – all but three crews have been canceled.

8:57 PM UPDATE: Our crew is there and says it was a small fire contained to a terrarium where a turtle lives. The residents are checking on the turtle.

10:52 PM UPDATE: In case you haven’t seen this in the comments already – a neighbor says the turtle is OK, though a bit shell-scorched.

‘Fire in building’ call north of The Junction: False alarm

(Photo added: Christopher Boffoli caught Ladder 11′s crew as they too prepared to roll away)
The call’s at California/Genesee. En route to check it out. (added) Our first crew there says it looks like a false alarm – the crews have been canceled.

West Seattle nightlife: Poggie Tavern dance-contest benefit

(WSB photo from May 14)
Four weeks ago, Poggie Tavern in The Junction reopened after damage from a fire in May kept it closed almost a month. A local band sends word of this benefit tomorrow (Friday) night:

The Poggie Tavern caught fire and had to close for a while. My band VikingRaider.com is hosting a Dance Contest there July 6th to help get them going again. It’s from 9 pm to 11 pm. Music goes till 1 am.

We are giving away prizes from the local West Seattle merchants, many have been donated. Zamboanga, Twilight Artist Collective, Husky Deli, and C&P Coffee are among the merchants participating. We got some rocking rhythm and blues featuring Dr. Harp and Ron Bronstom on Harmonica backed by the VikingRaider.com band. Grand Prize at 11 pm; also, prizes after The House Is A-Rocking, Jumping Jack Flash, and Stray Cat Strut.

The Poggie’s at 4717 California SW.

Update: Fireworks blamed for small fire in North Admiral

10:01 PM: We’re in the 2200 block of California SW, where fire crews are checking out a “fire in building” call. More shortly.

10:03 PM UPDATE: It’s NOT a “fire in building” as per the original call – a bush/tree caught fire near Mind Unwind, the gallery/event venue a couple buildings north of the ex-Blockbuster.

10:14 PM UPDATE: WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli sent the photo above after also checking out the scene; he says a witness saw the small fire sparked by fireworks.

West Seattle scene: Ladder 13′s last crew

Over the past several days, we’ve mentioned the Seattle Fire Department setting today as the date for taking Ladder 13 out of service – the truck added to West Seattle more than a year ago to make up for the fact that extra crews from points east couldn’t get to big incidents over here so easily while there was no SODO access to the westbound West Seattle Bridge. That problem’s over now that the new onramp is OK for emergency use. So last night, we covered what turned out to be L13′s final call, a crash a few blocks away; this morning we stopped by the station right before 8 am, when we had heard the truck officially would go out of service. Indeed, the 8 am tone and roll-call announcement sounded over a speaker, and with that, the crew said, they were done. From left in our photo, Ladder 13′s final crew – Mike McDonald, Lt. Jim Dallas, Scott Marcus, Matt Reilly, and Babe Witter.

Fire in vacant house on 21st SW under investigation

21st SW south of Croft Place has just reopened to traffic, after most fire crews left the scene of a small early-morning fire at a vacant house in the 6500 block. (The house is almost completely hidden from the street, behind the white fence at the left side of our photo.) No injuries reported, and SFD was working to figure out what caused it, and whether it was intentional or accidental. (Scanner traffic noted that a silver Toyota Tacoma pickup truck was stolen from a neighboring home, and police were trying to find out if that was somehow related.)

Fire call on SW Barton: Electrical problem, handled fast

Just in case you saw/heard the big response – the fire reported in an apartment building in the 2200 block of SW Barton was a small electrical fire that was put out fast. No injuries reported. Building’s being ventilated right now.

Update: Bonfire ‘explosion’ at Alki sends 5 to hospital with burns

(TOPLINE: 5 teenagers, reported at the scene to be celebrating the end of the school year at an Auburn high school, went to the hospital after someone added some kind of “accelerant” to a fire in an Alki Beach fire pit, resulting in what witnesses described as an “explosion.”)

(1st 2 photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
9:12 PM: We’re arriving at Alki where multiple emergency crews are tending to what we are told may be a case of someone with burn injuries … more momentarily. It’s happening at 59th and Alki SW – police are handling traffic control in the area – steer clear of there TFN. One witness describes what happened as a “fire pit explosion” and we are told more than one person has been transported to the hospital.

9:19 PM: Nearby resident Ben Hutchinson reports what he saw, and shares two photos:

About 20 minutes ago (20 minutes before the time of me sending this email), I was sitting in my room using my computer, when I heard a loud explosion. It sounded like maybe an illegal large/homemade firework exploding. I went outside to see what was going on. From the balcony of my apartment, I saw some burning material outside the fire ring just to the left of the fire ring. It appeared to be in the middle of the pile of belongings that the group of people had who were at the fire ring. Also to the right of the fire ring, I saw some burning material about 20 feet away. They people were throwing sand on, and stomping on the fire to put it out. I quickly pulled out my cellphone and to a picture on the phone’s camera, but they’d put out the fire by the time I pulled it out.

... About 5 minutes after this the 2 fire engines, and a medic arrived.

Other witnesses tell us at least two people were transported. We’ll be adding Ben’s photos shortly.

9:24 PM UPDATE: Christopher Boffoli was the first photojournalist there for WSB and tells us that fire crews told him five people have been taken to Harborview Medical Center with burns. He was also told that this was an end-of-year gathering involving students from Auburn; someone threw gasoline on a bonfire, and that’s what led to what multiple witnesses describe to us as an “explosion.”

10 PM UPDATE: Still awaiting info from formal briefing by Seattle Fire. Some online discussion cites witnesses as saying it was a “gas can,” not fluid itself – we’ll find out soon what SFD has determined.

10:21 PM UPDATE: Briefing by SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore is over. He says the five victims are all “high-school age” – two males taken by SFD medic unit have serious burns, two other male victims and one female with less-serious burns were transported to hospital(s) by private ambulances. Investigators are still trying to officially determine exactly what the “accelerant” and reported container were; the fire marshal is en route to the hospital to interview the victims who are OK enough to talk with him. We have the full briefing on video and will upload it to add here when our crew is back.

11:28 PM UPDATE: Seattle Fire has posted its account – only new information includes the degree of burns, 2nd and 3rd degree for the boys described as seriously burned. (Above this line, we’ve added the unedited video of the SFD briefing.)

TUESDAY MORNING: Police have also posted their online account; its only new detail is affirmation that their Arson/Bomb Squad is handling the followup investigation.

Poggie Tavern reopens in West Seattle Junction, post-fire

Almost four weeks after an early-morning dumpster fire that spread to the exterior of Poggie Tavern in The Junction – here’s our coverage from May 14th – the Poggie is finally open again, as of about an hour ago. In our photograph, that’s bartender Amy, who explains that in addition to repairs required by smoke damage, they also took the opportunity to do some other work inside. (Thanks to Deborra for the tip!)

Update: Fire call in 4800 block of Delridge

2:33 PM: For the second time today, there’s a major Seattle Fire call on Delridge – though the first crews report the fire tapped. We’re en route.

2:47 PM: Only one unit left at the scene in the 4800 block of Delridge; the temporary traffic snarl at the scene is clearing since the other units have gone. Working to find out what the short-lived fire was attributed to. The fire’s blamed on some trash in the backyard, which is currently being hosed down. (The house isn’t visible in the photo – it’s tucked between townhomes.)

Update: Small boat fire by Alki Point, put out by those on board

ORIGINAL 6:31 PM REPORT: A large Fire Department response has headed for Alki Point in response to a reported boat fire. So far, though, they’re not finding anything.

6:41 PM UPDATE: Per scanner, the Coast Guard has found a boat that had a small fire “put out by occupants.”

7:22 PM UPDATE: Beach Drive Blog has published a photo of what looks like the boat in question getting a tow or escort.

7:30 PM UPDATE: Our crew is back at HQ and we’ve added their photo atop the story. No injuries reported in all this, by the way.