(SCROLL DOWN for newest information)
(1st, 2nd, 4th photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
3:10 PM: Big Seattle Fire response to an apartment building in the 3800 block of Beach Drive (map), and the first units say they’re seeing flames. More to come.
3:18 PM: Firefighters are reporting that one unit of the three-story 12-unit building is fully involved in flames. (added) You can see it in this photo tweeted by Vanessa:
@westseattleblog – yeah, looks pretty devastating. Fire fighters with hoses from the water side now. pic.twitter.com/7glUstkHAj
— Vanessa Fox (@vanessafox) November 29, 2014
That view is looking at the burning waterfront unit from nearby Harbor West, the condo building on pilings over the water, south of Cormorant Cove Park. So far, no word of any injuries.
3:37 PM: Radio communications indicate firefighters have searched the building and so far it appears everyone got out OK. Seattle Fire’s public-information officer is headed there, so our crew at the scene will get a full update before too long.
3:48 PM: Thanks to Tracy Dart for the view just above this line, with one of the ladder trucks summoned to the scene. Our crew says there’s no more smoke, but as you can also see in Tracy’s view, the response is so big, Beach Drive will remain closed for a while. Via the scanner, we’re hearing firefighters declaring the fire “tapped”; they’re trying to get a Metro bus so that the people who can’t get into their units will have someplace warm to wait. Our crew talked to residents who say they’re waiting to hear if and when they’ll be able to get back into the units that were not involved in the fire.
4:09 PM: The briefing at the scene was given by Fire Chief Gregory Dean (video added):
He says a firefighter was hurt and taken to a hospital – he didn’t have details on the nature of the injury. Otherwise, everyone who lived at the building is believed to have gotten out OK, including at least three dogs. Too soon to know how the fire started. Some of the units are being dismissed from the scene now that the operation is winding down.
(Added: Photo courtesy Michelle)
4:31 PM: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore is there too and tells us the firefighter’s injuries are minor. The building has 12 units; 7 people and 4 dogs were home when this started, he says, confirming all got out OK.
5:17 PM: More post-fire logistics at the scene, per scanner: They’ll be keeping a fire watch with a crew at the scene in case of flareups; the Red Cross is being called to help the unit’s residents and their dog; there’s a call out to get the road sanded so residual water from the firefight doesn’t create an ice hazard.
9:06 PM: We don’t know yet how the fire started. But we have one more view of the scene, shared by artist Joshua Boulet, who lives nearby:
That is one of two sketches he made; you can see the other on his website.
9:55 PM: An update from SFD – they still don’t know the cause, but damage totaled $180,000. Everyone was able to go back into their apartments but the people living on the beach level, where the fire was.
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