Update: West Seattle house fire on Roxbury ‘accidental’

1:39 AM: We’re on our way to the house-fire call at 30th and Roxbury – more as we get it.

1:46 AM UPDATE: Roxbury is being blocked off. The fire address has been updated to 32nd and Roxbury (map). Per scanner traffic, firefighters say they have it under control. We’ll be at the scene shortly.

1:55 AM UPDATE: At the scene. No flames visible. No report of injuries. The house is on the south side of Roxbury, closer to 31st than 32nd. Investigators are being called out right now. Again, Roxbury is closed to traffic, since this is right on the corner, with the roadblock starting just east of 35th.

2:04 AM UPDATE: Firefighters confirm nobody was hurt – nobody was home. They don’t know the cause yet, since the investigation is just starting, but they say there’s significant damage inside the house, so it’s uninhabitable at this point.

4:05 AM UPDATE: SFD has published an update on Fire Line, saying they’ve determined the fire was “accidental” – though aside from saying it started “in a couch,” they don’t say how (we’ll check later this morning). Damage is estimated at $61,000; the house is now described as “vacant.”

ADDED TUESDAY AFTERNOON: SFD’s Kyle Moore says “smoking materials” were what ignited the couch, and adds that Seattle Police are investigating.

6 Replies to "Update: West Seattle house fire on Roxbury 'accidental'"

  • Westside J. July 5, 2011 (1:53 am)

    I left my house for a run just a bit ago and could smell the fire, I live around the corner. Now I’m watching all the hubbub..

  • kay July 5, 2011 (1:53 am)

    pictures?

  • GBH July 5, 2011 (5:49 am)

    I live right near the house. I seriously doubt it was accidental. The door has not closed for a while do to the fact that it was previously kicked in. Thug types have been hanging out there and people have been squatting there. The police have already visited the location a few times prior. Hopefully this will not be an ongoing problem as there are a couple other vacant houses close by.

  • Chloe July 5, 2011 (9:23 am)

    I’m glad to hear no one was hurt and that it wasn’t at least caused by people playing around with fireworks most likely. It was scary to wake up to all those trucks early this morning only to find out they were at the end of my street.

  • CMS July 5, 2011 (12:41 pm)

    I agree that if the fire was “accidental,” it was an accident caused by people up to no good messing around in the abandoned house. I live nearby and the house has been empty and unsecured for a while now. If any other neighbors are interested, I got the contact number for the property management company off the (now shattered) window yesterday: Metropolitan Realty Corp, Kirk Patterson, (888) 940-9777. I and other neighbors plan to call and demand that whoever owns this place needs to secure it better.

    • WSB July 5, 2011 (12:48 pm)

      I did just get the one additional detail from SFD – it was “smoking materials” that ignited the couch. So SOMEBODY was in there … TR

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