Updates: Big fire to the east: ‘Old Sunny Jim plant’; traffic effects

(Scroll down for updates, plus more photos added Monday night)

ORIGINAL 2:18 PM REPORT: Thanks to the WSB’ers who e-mailed to ask what we know about a big fire in the South Seattle industrial district, with smoke visible from eastern West Seattle (and downtown). It’s at South Airport/Industrial (map). Thanks to Jim for the photo; checking further. There’s live video on a stream from KING5 (thanks to Tina for that tip). 2:29 PM: The initial media update from Seattle Fire says this is a three-alarm fire at “the old Sunny Jim plant” – a vacant building – archives remind us Sunny Jim (which made peanut butter) was the site of a big fire in 1997. No injuries reported so far. (However, there are side issues – problems with looky-loos on the freeway and trees/power poles burning between the fire site and the freeway, according to the scanner.) 3:05 PM: 2 lanes are closed on southbound I-5 because of the fire. West Seattle crews are involved in fighting the fire – we’re hearing scanner traffic, for example, from Ladder 11, which was just training over at the Admiral Safeway site this morning (as shown here). We also just got this photo from Christopher Boffoli:

Our partners at the Seattle Times are covering the fire here. 3:33 PM UPDATE: Reporters at the scene say a firefighter’s been hurt – KING5’s Meg Coyle tweeted a photo of firefighters surrounding him/her to help.

4:43 PM UPDATE: Per Twitter, firefighters will not go in the structure today.

6:43 PM UPDATE: Adding more photos and info, now that our much-smaller West Seattle fire incident is wrapping up. Sue B sent this photo taken from I-5:

Christopher Boffoli caught some West Seattle crews in action at the scene – you’ll see a couple in his video clip, first:

Next, from Ladder 11, Junction-based:

Crew from The Junction’s Station 32:

And Engine 36, based by The Bridge:

Per the scanner, we heard 36 being returned to service just a few minutes ago, five hours after the fire started.

Mookie September 20, 2010 (2:26 pm)

Oh no! Not the old Sunny Jim building! I hope the firefighters wrestle the fire into submission and stay safe. Sounds like there’s electrical wires above/near the building that they’re worried about, “if we can’t knock it down, we’re going to have to pull back.”

defenestrator September 20, 2010 (2:38 pm)

I thought that building had been turned into artists’ housing. Did that end at some point? The report says the building was empty.

LB September 20, 2010 (2:43 pm)

I think it was the former Rainier Brewery that was turned into artists’ housing.

bsmomma September 20, 2010 (2:46 pm)

Heard all the sirens, then got the Twitter, went outside (8th & Lander)……..holy smokes! By the time I came back inside, the nice sunny day looked more like a crappy day, weather wise! With it being so windy today I would imagine I-5 is a mess!

Sue September 20, 2010 (2:49 pm)

That explains the SDOT traffic alert email that simply said “Airport Way S at Industrial Way S is closed due to a structure fire.”

MH September 20, 2010 (2:56 pm)

It’s remarkable how fast WSB has this news up. My home office window faces Beacon Hill and I just looked up from my computer and saw the smoke. Sure enough, when I checked WSB, they were already on it. Good job guys.

Krystal September 20, 2010 (2:58 pm)

I was headed NB on I-5 and when I hit the Michigan curve, I could see billowing back smoke, which made me realize why there was a backup, once I exited on to WS Bridge, all was clear, I-5 SB looked horrendous! My car smells like smoke!

cathyw September 20, 2010 (3:01 pm)

The Sunny Arms Artist Coop was built in the old Washington Shoe Factory Building in Georgetown.

bsmomma September 20, 2010 (3:03 pm)

I see on the live video that they have some lanes on I-5 South closed off now…………

Drury September 20, 2010 (3:18 pm)

It’s not the Sunny Arms Artist Coop. Different building.

waman September 20, 2010 (3:19 pm)

Looks like they finished what they started in the 1997 blaze.

HolyKow September 20, 2010 (3:34 pm)

Hows about we condemn buildings that are old and falling apart and serve no use to the community and have them razed…it would save us the eyesore and keep our firefighters safe from old dilapidated buildings that burn down only because they were about to fall down….or someone needed insurance money…

I betcha this building had issues that would have caused safety concerns…and now the building itself is a GIANT safety concern, traffic hazard, cause of distraction, smokey cars, high blood pressure and just general national news gathering emergency response….Not to mention since we have to check the twit-er on this…I I used up my valuable time on this instead of seeing if Shaq has used the bathroom today….big opportunity cost there…

Sorry that SFD had to even go out on this one…old broken-down useless buildings are a drain on tax resources.

bsmomma September 20, 2010 (3:45 pm)

That’s what they’re doing/done/talking about doing to parts of Detroit/Dearborn. Just taking a Bulldozer to the areas. It’s a shame. The old architecture is so cool! But going back to Detroit and seeing all the once very neat looking buildings run down is sad. And unfortunately it is an invite for bad things to happen.

Sage September 20, 2010 (3:46 pm)

Metro’s latest email alert says “Expect huge delays going south.” Can’t wait.

bsmomma September 20, 2010 (3:46 pm)

Wow. It smells like burnt paper in our office right now. And we’re in a “box” with no windows or doors to the direct outside!

kim September 20, 2010 (4:15 pm)

I think there is a very real possibility that someone may have been inside. How can the fire department be so sure that there is no one inside if the building is engulfed in flames and they have not been inside?

I understand the structure is abandoned but that does not necessarily mean it is vacant. After all it is a huge, empty, and accessible building close to downtown. I am worried they haven’t considered squatters or homeless people may be inside the building. Or even worse, they have considered it and have decided they are not worth the risk of going inside.

Cclarue September 20, 2010 (4:24 pm)

I-5 south is a mess but all lanes are open nowtrying to get to the bridge is better than if u are staying south on 5

Lachlan September 20, 2010 (4:27 pm)

If the fire is as hot and nasty as indicated, it is too unsafe for firefighters to enter and look for civilians. It makes little sense to endanger their lives when the building is unsafe and crumbling by the second, endangering nearby structures, roads, etc. That doesn’t diminish the tragedy if lives were in fact lost inside the structure, but when viewed in perspective I believe their decision is correct. It is a decision I’m sure no FD relishes making, ever, when faced with a 4 alarm fire.

WSB September 20, 2010 (4:42 pm)

Lachlan, they just tweeted that they won’t go in today – TR

kim September 20, 2010 (4:46 pm)

I just thought it was a stretch for the fire department to say outright that the building was empty when in fact they do not know and it is a very real possibility that people are inside.

What you are saying makes sense, Lachlan, but the decision should not be coddled with false statements from the FD spokesperson. To say they are not sure whether anyone is inside is fair. And to say they are unwilling to risk several lives and go into a structurally unsound building to look for people is also fair.

So they should say that instead of saying that the place is empty so there is no need to go inside.

kim September 20, 2010 (4:49 pm)

from King5 news…”Fire Department spokeswoman Dana Vander Houwen says that because the building was empty and engulfed in flame, firefighters were staying out of it but were pouring water on it. She said that because they haven’t been able to get near it, fire crews can’t tell what started the blaze.”