10:55 AM: Crews are on the scene of a house-fire call in the 200 block of SW Roxbury – the east end of the street. They’ve already reported it as “tapped” and are dismissing some of the crews; more to come.

11:11 AM: Firefighters on the scene say what fire there was, was in the back of the house. No injuries reported; the investigation into its cause is under way.

11:25 AM: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore has just been to the scene and provided new information: The fire started in a backyard kennel-type structure that was housing 4 dogs (all described as Chihuahuas). They’re all OK. But the flames did extend to the deck and the back wall of the house – the interior was not involved, so the house remains habitable. Investigators are still trying to find out what sparked the fire.

(This photo and next one courtesy of SFD)
4:36 PM: Adding photos shared by SFD’s Moore showing where the fire started (and spread), at the back of the home, where the wire kennel area was.

Still awaiting final word on the fire’s cause.

10:44 PM UPDATE: And that information’s now in – a heater in the “dog house” caused an accidental electrical fire, SFD says, with flames spreading to the wooden deck and siding before the fire was extinguished. Damage is estimated at $20,000.

Close call in Sunrise Heights earlier this afternoon, 7100 block of 31st SW – “food left on the stove” caused enough smoke for a house-fire response, but it was caught in time to avert a full-on fire, and nobody was hurt. Thanks to Tony Bradley for sharing the photo!

Investigators say they have figured out what caused the fire at a Fauntleroy home at sunset Saturday (WSB coverage here). The fire at a two-story home in the 4500 block of SW Trenton is blamed on “a malfunctioning temperature control which operates the heating element of a water bed,” according to Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Kyle Moore. He says it “overheated and ignited nearby combustibles.” Damage is estimated at $50,000, but, Moore adds, “the home had fire, smoke and water damage throughout the main floor and basement.” Nobody was hurt. (If you live in the neighborhood, you might have noticed fire crews responding to the same house again last night – we heard the calls on the scanner; a fire alarm went off, but no new fire was found.)

4:35 PM: Crews are en route to a house-fire call in the 4500 block of SW Trenton, which is about a block east of Fauntleroy Way. More shortly.

4:44 PM UPDATE: Lots of smoke from the back of the house when we arrived, not much now. No flames visible.

4:55 PM UPDATE: The incident commander tells WSB the fire started in a back bedroom. They’re not sure yet how it started; they’re still checking to make sure it didn’t extend into the walls, attic, etc. No report of injuries at this point; two people who were home at the time are reported to have gotten out safely. Added above this update, a photo from neighbor Emily, with a wider perspective than ours.

5:12 PM: Crews are checking out a house-fire call in the 5200 block of Beach Drive SW. It’s a small fire, reported to be under control, and some of the units are being dismissed.

5:28 PM: The call has closed.

Fire units are at a building in the 2700 block of Alki SW (map), after a report of smoke. Per the scanner, a resident is telling them it was a problem with cooking – no actual fire spotted so far. And firefighters have just confirmed “food on the stove” – smoke, but no fire. They will be ventilating the building’s fourth floor.

Big response to a “fire in building” call a few minutes ago in the 2700 block of Alki SW, but according to the scanner, firefighters say it was a “food on stove” situation and have canceled most of the units.

(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
8:29 PM: Seattle Fire units are rushing to a “fire in building” call in the 4800 block of SW Juneau (map). More shortly.

8:36 PM UPDATE: Per the scanner, it’s described as a wall fire and said to be under control. (2 minutes later) It’s now “tapped,” and SFD is calling off the units that hadn’t arrived yet. They’re keeping four units at the scene – two engines, a ladder truck, and battalion chief. No reports of any injuries.

8:42 PM UPDATE: Added a photo. Meantime, the fire marshal is en route to look into the cause.

9:02 PM UPDATE: Our crews at the scene have talked to the neighbor who called the fire in after seeing smoke and some flames. He confirms to WSB this house was unoccupied – it’s undergoing remodeling. So definitely no injuries; cause remains under investigation.

ADDED 9:04 AM MONDAY: Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore tells WSB their investigator “determined the fire was accidental, caused by electrical wiring in the wall which overheated and ignited the kitchen. Estimated loss is $40,000.”

(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.

(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.

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.

(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.

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.

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).

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.”