VIDEO: Fire near 1st Avenue South Bridge

Thanks to Nick for that video of a fire that briefly sent smoke and flames high into the sky near 2nd SW and Highland Park SW [map], just southwest of the 1st Avenue South Bridge. It was at first logged as a “rubbish fire” but the first engine on scene saw that it was more than that, including trees, so they sent more units. Firefighters are still on scene and have most recently told dispatch to reclassify it as an “encampment fire.” No one is reported to be hurt.

NativetoSeattle April 23, 2022 (10:23 pm)

So glad the winds were calm and we’ve had rain recently, or this could have spread quickly. Thank you to all the firefighters!

WSlite April 23, 2022 (11:34 pm)

Glad to hear no one was hurt. I was driving over 1st Ave S bridge around 9pm tonight and saw huge amounts of smoke coming from under/near bridge. Sad to see this seem like a norm now with out of control fires under bridges and in encampments. Keeping firefighters busy unfortunately, that’s for sure. Unnecessary risk for firefighters dealing with this all the time. Thank you SFD for your service and dedication!

flimflam April 24, 2022 (6:26 am)

i don’t know why but i’m still shocked the city allows this to happen – there are lots of reasons the encampments are a bad idea and the fires are one of them.
- KD April 24, 2022 (10:33 am)
  
  You should be shocked. We all should. This is a clear threat to our infrastructure. These are drug encampments our city council supports. Vote for change!!
- Yeah April 24, 2022 (12:01 pm)
  
  “The city” doesn’t have a choice because Seattle taxpayers have consistently said they don’t want to build emergency shelter, or fund tiny house villages, or have RV safe lots in their neighborhoods, and then they fight tooth and nail against any new development that would alleviate the housing crunch that pushes so many into homelessness. As long as there are underlying issues that cause so many to be unable to find affordable shelter, and so few options for those who find themselves in that position, there will be encampments.
  - nwpolitico April 24, 2022 (2:41 pm)
    
    Stripping stolen cars and setting fires on the side of the river is a more of a reaction to drug addiction than a lack of affordable housing.
  - Mark47n April 25, 2022 (6:46 am)
    
    This is factually not accurate. In fact, there was just an article in the times about a tiny house village that sits empty due to a lack of funding due to spats between LIHI and the Regional Homeless Authority and the city. The encampments, however, are loaded with stolen property (I get up close and personal looks at the hidden side of the one on Andover and see all sorts of expensive items), drugs and all of the mental illness that you’d expect. I know one guy whose work van was located in one of the encampments under 1st S and had to go recover it himself since the police were completely uninterested in even helping. He made a video of it (he did take backup, of course) and the sprawling natural of it showed stripped down cars and everything you’d expect.These matters are complicated by the city not being able to enforce the parking laws, in part to a WA Supreme Court ruling that forbade removing the RVs if they are where people are living and tying it all up with a bow using some Homesteader’s rights law. I guess living on public property is now homesteading, unless the Prez is coming. Hell, people get chucked out of their homes for not paying taxes, rendering them homeless, I guess that doesn’t count, right?So, expect more fires as these ‘homesteaders’ use fires to strip the insulation off of purloined copper wire, dispose of who knows what types of refuse and, I’m sure, for a bit of warmth.I have no real issue with folks living in RV’s. I’ve seen it for decades, it’s not new. What I don’t like is when it becomes a garbage dump and hub for illegal activity that’s effectively sanctioned by the city due to complete inaction other than hauling away tons, literal tons, of garbage to make…what?….cleaner? It was virtually the same after the “remediation”.
    - LibertariansAreJustSelfish April 27, 2022 (9:09 am)
      
      Thank you Mark47n…your analysis and observations are greatly appreciated. I was recently reading a U.S. Federal case where the Ninth Circuit ruled that a municipality cannot deny someone the right to live on a sidewalk in a tent, or any public land like parks, schools, etc. The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court where they declined to take it up. The lower ruling stood and that is why we see this insanity along the west coast (Ninth Circuit) and not anywhere else in the country. Not a lawyer here, but would love to know if this is how we got to this point. My conspiratorial side thinks that by not taking up the case at the U.S. Supreme Court, the conservative leaning court could stick it good to the more liberal Ninth Circuit, and all of the liberal West Coast. If that is an accurate portrayal, how do we get a re-evaluation, or at least get the other areas to encumber themselves in the same way. The hoards never seem to stop arriving from the less permissive parts of our nation. Who can blame them if this disparity in homeless laws truly exists.

pelicans April 24, 2022 (3:58 am)

The areas around the 1st Ave. S bridge are wetlands and the remains of the former meandering Duwamish River. The people of the Duwamish tribe were here for thousands of years. The city of Seattle is allowing this area to become a cesspool from trash, human waste and runoff from fires. WHAT is it going to take to clean this area up? A catastrophic fire under the 1st Ave S bridge, that closes it like the neglect of the West Seattle Bridge? Hey Lisa Herbold, how ‘ bout it? Whadya say?

pelicans April 24, 2022 (4:42 am)

Why in the world isn’t the City cleaning this place out? Is it on the line between Seattle and unincorporated King County, so they fight over it, and say the other side owns it? Come on, grown ups! Make a decision!