UPDATE: Police investigating West Seattle house fire as arson

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1:44 AM: Seattle Fire has sent a “full response” to a possible house fire near 46th and Andover.

(Added: Photo sent by Emilie)

1:47 AM: First crews on scene say it’s a basement fire.

1:56 AM: Firefighters are checking the other floors to be sure it hasn’t spread. So far no word of injuries.

1:58 AM: They’ve now reported some flames in a corner of the roof/attic, while the fire in the basement is described as “under control.”

2:03 AM: And now the attic fire is also declared “under control.”

(Added: Photo posted in comments by Nick)

2:13 AM: They’ve just told dispatch that the fire is “tapped” (out).

2:28 AM: Some of the units are being dismissed. SFD’s investigator will work to figure out how this started; we’ll follow up later this morning.

8:57 AM: SFD spokesperson David Cuerpo tells us the SPD Arson and Bomb Squad is now investigating this fire because it “was ruled as incendiary (intentionally set).” He added, “The estimated loss is $100,000.”

Neighbor on 45th May 3, 2022 (2:13 am)

Nick May 3, 2022 (2:22 am)

Thomas A Wood May 3, 2022 (6:47 am)

Just walked by one for engine still on site.

Fred May 3, 2022 (6:55 am)

I am so grateful for our local fire departments. We had a fire on our block last week and it so scary. Thanks for reporting on this fire, WSB. The sirens woke me up. So glad to know that no one was hurt.

Brad May 3, 2022 (8:34 am)

Thank you for quick reporting on this and updates on your Twitter at all hours of the night, woke up in the middle of the night thinking I smelled burning incense in my apt, checked your feed and found out what it was!

Scubafrog May 3, 2022 (9:09 am)

Hopefully someone has a camera that caught something, that’s awful. “No injuries”, so that’s one plus. 100k in damage is so sad.

WSGuy May 3, 2022 (9:13 am)

This house has a somewhat interesting history per property tax records and shows as currently being a rental per Zillow.

WSB May 3, 2022 (9:21 am)

Yes, we routinely check such things, but the sale records are not recent (newest transaction four years ago). City records show a recent complaint about an eviction dispute. The SFD says “no one claiming to be an occupant” was on scene while they were. – TR
- WSGuy May 3, 2022 (4:46 pm)
  
  Thanks for being on top of this (and everything else!)

Just wondering May 3, 2022 (10:38 am)

At one time the grass was all over grown in the front yard. Later it was cleaned up and a “for rent” sign was put up. Never seemed to see anyone around.I also woke up to the smoke smell. Thanks SFD and West Seattle blog! You both rock!

MK WSea May 3, 2022 (12:58 pm)

The house is a corporate rental property that has been a nuisance for at least a year.

CPWS May 3, 2022 (5:31 pm)

Boy, that’s an understatement for sure. Multiple times over the last 8 months or so there was always something going on over there. Police evicting people (squatters?), state patrol towing cars, a sketchy custom painted crysler slowly coming and going multiple times a night (every night) from the back alley garage.Good riddance.

THE BAT CAVE May 7, 2022 (1:04 pm)

Yeah, my custom painted Chrystler does come and go at night because all of us aren’t yet retired and still have a lot of work to put in. My fiancé and I are probably the youngest couple on that block, but we kept to ourselves. I’m sorry about the problems the neighborhood has had coming from the house that my family and I have been occupying since Jan. 2022. But even still, that isn’t a reason to break in and burn our whole lives down to nothing. We’re just people just like all of you. Our first-time renting, and we got scammed, and everything we owned destroyed. When we moved in only ONE neighbor came and wished us well. But I won’t say any names because I would hate for that person to receive any backlash for welcoming us to this neighborhood. I work as a truck driver. I’m to Oregon and back almost every day. And I’m still working, even on my off days and nights. (Yes, I door dash… AT NIGHT)! I won’t lie, I did have suspicions about the same people who stays up all night to watch me come and go to and from the home that I rent. Now you know my reasons for my activities. What’s their reasons for being up late nights? We tried to be respectful to the neighborhood, but we are young and only human. Please don’t get us mixed up with the folks that stayed in that house before us, because it has absolutely nothing to do with us. But having our other car impounded after all that were going through was just so unnecessary. Like we’re not going through enough with the scamming and the fire. We came with everything we loved and left with nothing but the clothes on our backs. So, I’d like to thank the neighborhood for making us feel so welcome and reassuring us that we live in better times

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