Reader report: Fast work stops small fire

| West Seattle fires | West Seattle news | Westwood

We saw the 911 call for “bark fire” at Westwood Village a short time ago; sounded too small to go. But Tyson just sent this firsthand account and it sounds like some folks deserve kudos:

I’m a daily reader of the West Seattle Blog and just thought I’d share something I just witnessed. Not exactly breaking news or anything but worth a note. Just walked out of the Westwood Village Barnes and Noble and saw a huge plume of smoke coming from the Target parking lot. I then noticed that one of the bushes used for landscaping was engulfed in flames and it was quickly spreading with help of the surrounding mulch. Target and Westwood Village security were very quick in responding to the fire as was the fire department.

No confirmation yet but speculation is that it might have been caused by a discarded cigarette – that sort of thing causes a lot of fires like that this time of year, so if you smoke, please be careful.

RobertSeattle July 2, 2008 (3:08 pm)

I do not recommend stamping out a fire with a Segway. :-)

Beth July 2, 2008 (3:19 pm)

WOW a burning bush! Quick, someone call Moses!!

flowerpetal July 2, 2008 (4:13 pm)

Darn, a burning bush at Westwood. It may have been the Oracle of Target ready to give us winning lottery numbers… but alas, snuffed out!

Jaime Gummer July 2, 2008 (4:15 pm)

Or better yet….if you smoke how about not littering the ground with your stupid cigarette butts. Not only is it illegal, but those filters take a long time to break down and they contain hundreds of chemicals that leach into the ground water.

Dianna King July 2, 2008 (8:31 pm)

Last weekend, I saw a bark and shrub fire in early stages at the Burien Fred Meyer. It appeared to be a spontaneous combustion starting in about six places in the bark mulch simultaneously. I called 911 and they sent a fire unit out. I stayed to watch, one of the bushes had red embers at its base. The firefighters didn’t seem too impressed with it, but they poured water on it until it stopped smoking.

miws July 2, 2008 (9:38 pm)

We had one today at my place of work too. It was before I started my shift, but another employee told me about it.

We always seem to have one or two each summer, and have figured it’s one of two things, the above mentioned ciggy butt (well said Jaime Gummmer!) or, spontaneous combustion from the layer of bark getting hot inside, much like what can happen with a compost pile.

Mike

Indaknow July 3, 2008 (7:31 pm)

I witnessed a spontaneous combustion fire in the bark in front of the Westwood McDonald’s last summer…the workers told me that it had happened several times before in the newly mulched area.

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