12:59 PM: Multiple 911 callers (and texters to us) have reported hearing two explosions a few minutes ago – possibly in the Seaview area – , and some reported seeing smoke, at least briefly, but no particular incident/location has surfaced yet. We’ll update.
1:09 PM: Still a mystery.
1:24 PM: Nothing has surfaced. One commenter says they saw “mortars” launched from a yard in Seaview.
Heard in Seaview off 44th and Raymond. Didn’t sound like fireworks or gunshots.
We’re on 46th Ave SW between Juneau and Raymond and it sounded very close. Shook our house.
Def heard 2 very loud explosions in Morgan Junction. Within seconds of eachother
46th and Juneau right behind house. It literally shook my body when I was on the porch. Likely an airburst, would explain how loud it was and the non-directional nature
I thought they were fireworks….heard on 49th Ave SW in Seaview near Graham.
Waiting inside with the kids until we hear otherwise. Loud at 38th and Raymond. I’m betting it was a transformer, but playing it safe.
Nothing on the City Light map and enough time has elapsed now that if there was any sort of problematic aftermath (aside from rattled nerves) it would have surfaced …
Could it be an acetylene bomb? We used to get those around the 4th in White Center. We were 4 blocks away from the idiots letting them off, but our windows still rattled and the sound was quite loud.
The two mortars were launched from 5945 47th Ave SW.The first caught my attention so I was able to get outside to see the second go straight up from the yard.
That’s not to imply that the owners of the home were the ones doing it. I didn’t see who launched them–just where they came from.
Yes, it was a large 4th of July style mortar. It even had the spray of colored lights when it exploded. A few of us were watching and I wandered over after it happened, but whoever it was took the mortar tube with them. I also heard a chorus of neighbors and workers at the neighboring house under construction shouting variants of “knock it off @#$@#%@” when they set off the second. Whoever it was cleared out after that.
I happened to be outside and saw both mortars go up. Didn’t know what it was but heard the whizzing and then – boom! Glad neighbors chased off whomever it was. What a nuisance.
Maybe that is exactly why they are doing this. Perhaps they are motivated like the a-holes who were shooting at electrical substations? Those large mortar style fireworks are incredibly expensive, and not readily available in our immediate area, so one must wonder why this activity is so important to them? Perhaps others have some thoughts on this.
I’m at 35th and Morgan def heard one big BOOM, and 2 smaller ones.. it shook my apt bldg.. Did not at all sound of feel like Fireworks/M80s..
47th and Juneau. Unlike any fireworks I’ve ever heard. Both were extremely loud and shook the whole house. Hope whatever happened that everyone is ok.
Howdy neighbor! I saw the second one go up and blow with a big spray of lights. It was a large mortar shell firework and based on the location you gave it went off almost right over your house. I’m not surprised your whole house shook!
Why the heck is someone shooting off mortars? Doesn’t sound safe, is that legal here?
umm, NOPE. not even “safe and sane” fireworks are legal. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop folks. :-( My poor doggie is probably a mess!!!
Def heard 2 explosions, 1st one really big, 2nd one still very loud. 48th near Findlay. From the southeast of us, which would put it on 47th in 5600 or 5900 block. Louder than most fireworks. Scary.
I heard something loud like that yesterday afternoon when walking by Ercolini Park. Are we talking about fireworks or something else?
From 48 & Graham they sounded like the small toy cannons (think shoe box size) we used to play with as kids where you load gun powder packets into the device before igniting with a pullcord.Similar to what the Sea Fair Pirates use when ‘attacking’ Alki Beach every summer, only smaller.From here it sounded like the first was a tad stronger/louder than the second, which were just seconds apart.
It’s interesting how this story received over a dozen comments within hours of posting but the one last week where SPD found a dead guy just sat dormant.
Not really—they’re two entirely different situations. If people weren’t there, didn’t see anything, and don’t know the parties involved, then what’s there to say?
They were firework mortars (very large “crowd-pleasers”). My husband was riding his bike back up to Arbor Heights from an Alki loop and saw the second one air burst.
A couple of years ago, the people renting the Airbnb next door to us got a bunch of those mortars and set them off in the backyard not five feet from our house. The entire house shook and our cat, who was never bothered by loud noises before freaked out. It was not fun to have them exploding over our roof.
they were fireworks. I work at Gatewood on the third floor, and we heard the noise looked out the window and saw the flash and puff of smoke of two separate fireworks in the Morgan Junction area.
It’s great to know that I can expect to have fireworks set off every Friday and Saturday night from the parking lot of the gym at Our Lady of Guadalupe from 10 to midnight until September.
A younger worker at a job site set off the fireworks. So sorry for the terrified animals. Ours too. The person was spoken to and won’t do it again, he said. Geez!
Sorry, comment time is over.
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