day : 04/07/2023 7 results

10:44 PM: Tonight, for SFD, “brush fire” is the catch-all classification for many fireworks-caused (or likely-fireworks-caused) fires. Last year on the 4th of July, the Real-Time 911 log (archived here) had one “brush fire” call. So far today/tonight (live log here), citywide, there are 34. Some were reported as tree fires, some as shrub fires, some as lawn fires. Some are park fires – we’ve heard Hamilton Viewpoint and Westcrest Park mentioned. Firefighters responding to one at 30th/Cambridge pleaded with the dispatcher for police help, saying they were dealing with people “who refuse to stop setting off fireworks.”

Some police are tied up with managing the Alki crowd – we counted 7 cars between the Bathhouse and Don Armeni before sunset, and right now they’re dealing with routing traffic out of Alki, since fireworks-watchers will be leaving, and the beach is technically closed for the night. Expect some temporary road closures if you have to head that way.

More as-it-happens notes as the night goes on.

11:07 PM: Next “brush fire” response – Solstice Park (whether the tennis courts or P-patch, we haven’t heard). … Another frequently used classification on the 4th is “rubbish fire” – 11 so far citywide tonight. One of those is reported right now in a trash receptacle near the Lincoln Park south lot. … Another brush fire at 18th/Henderson.

11:47 PM: Possible residential fire near 35th and 104th in Arbor Heights. … Texter says “mostly garage.” … First firefighters on scene say it’s a car fire “with exposure’ (to a structure) … Adding texted photo from Colby Blanton:

11:56 PM: SFD says the fire is under control. … The response is being reduced. They’re calling in the SFD investigator to determine how it started.

12:46 AM: Dispatchers have been trying for more than half an hour to get an officer to an assault report involving someone “deliberately” injured by fireworks. One officer was just about to go – and then had to be diverted for a report of someone seen firing a gun on 15th SW.

1:02 AM: Somebody finally became available for the assault call. … Fire calls have slowed down but citywide there’s still been nine calls classified brush, rubbish, or dumpster fire.

1:17 AM: Next fire call, a “brush fire” between West Seattle Stadium and the golf course. … A response in Riverview, at 11th/Webster, is NOT for fireworks/fire, but rather a vehicle collision.

1:29 AM: “Brush fire” in the parking lot of Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), “near a light pole.”

2:18 AM: Nothing since then, though we’re still hearing scattered detonations.

2:34 AM: For a different view (literally) of some of tonight’s West Seattle fireworks, check out this drone video that Ken tweeted at us (featuring one serious aerial display starting around 3:30 in).

ADDED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: SFD says the fire in Arbor Heights was accidental, “likely caused by fireworks,” with damage estimated at $85,000.

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WEST SEATTLE SCENES: 3 views from the shore

July 4, 2023 10:09 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Thanks to everyone who sent photos of tonight’s smoky dusk – the one above is from Gene Pavola. Air quality is expected to remain “moderate” for the next two days; the National Weather Service says wildfire smoke from Canada remains the primary problem. Earlier, looking north, the air was clear when Jerry Simmons photographed this scene at Anchor/Luna Park:

And Ant sent this view of sea life during summer’s lowest low tide today:

Tomorrow’s low-low tide is almost as low – -3.8 feet just before 1 pm.

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VIDEO: C & P Coffee Company’s 20th-anniversary community party

July 4, 2023 8:00 pm

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| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Cameron and Pete Moores are the C & P in their C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) – but if you’ve seen the online posts for C & P, you know the two initials always stand for a different phrase relevant to the topic of the moment. This afternoon, “community party” would have applied, as that’s why the coffeehouse held a crowd of people, there to celebrate C & P Coffee’s 20th anniversary. (Which actually was on Valentine’s Day, they admit, observing that winter isn’t ideal party weather.) Special guests helping mark the milestone were the poets of PoetryBridge, one of the community groups that calls C & P their home away from home:

They put together commemorative poetry for the occasion, and read it in the garden out back, after a few words from Pete:

(Read the poem here.) C & P – which already has a Peace Pole – also now has a Poetry Tree:

It’s been a little over five years since another big party at C & P, one at which the Moores expressed gratitude for the community campaign that helped them rescue C & P from redevelopment. (PoetryBridge presented a poem for that occasion, too.)

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VIDEO, PHOTOS: West Seattle Fourth of July Kids’ Parade 2023

July 4, 2023 3:35 pm

| 4 COMMENTS

| Holidays | West Seattle news

That’s the entirety of this year’s West Seattle Fourth of July Kids’ Parade, toward the start of its traditional route through North Admiral. Our subjective way of measuring participation each year is the length of our start-to-finish video, and this year was among the longest, at 17+ minutes (2018 was almost 19). It’s an informal, community-supported event, underwritten by local sponsors (this year including WSB), and organized one last time by Megan Erb, who’s turning it over to the Admiral Neighborhood Association for next year. Here’s what Megan told the crowd at 44th/Sunset pre-parade, followed by the national anthem courtesy of education director Jessie Kuehm from Mode Music Studios‘ (parade co-sponsor and a WSB sponsor too) nonprofit sibling Mode Music and Performing Arts:

A few scenes from the parade:

At Hamilton Viewpoint Park, the post-parade festival grows every year – sponsor activity booths included Neighborhood Naturopathic (also a WSB sponsor), teaching about tea:

The Mode booth offered hands-on musical experimentation:

The main event post-parade every year is sack racing, in age groups all the way to adult. Some kids flew down the course:

The grownup round featured two City Council candidates:

Seattle Fire Engine 29 – based blocks from the parade route – wasn’t able to lead off the parade this year as usual, but did make it to the park:

A Seattle Police car was also there for kids to check out:

Food trucks included Lil J’s Super Dawgs:

(One more sponsor shoutout – Potter Construction, another WSB sponsor too, funded the park porta-potties!)

6:56 PM: More photos added above.

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FOURTH OF JULY 2023: Fire danger high

July 4, 2023 11:59 am

| 28 COMMENTS

| West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

As mentioned in our holiday lineup, firefighters have been busy. This morning we received two reader reports – first from Rebecca:

Darwin and I were out early to monitor the Cooper’s Hawks nest in Fauntleroy Park and came upon a fire in the base of a large Douglas Fir tree. We called 911, and firefighters from Station 37 quickly arrived to put out the fire. Initially, they brought in two extinguishers, but detected several hot spots in the trunk, so hauled in nearly 1100 ft of firehose from their rig parked at the southernmost entrance to the park.

We are so thankful for their service. Station 37 rocks! A good reminder to not only stay safe on this Independence Day, but to remain vigilant, and alert to your surroundings. A fire in any one of our parks would be truly devastating.

Whether fireworks were suspected or something else, we don’t know – we were away from the desk at the time of the callout. But the fire that Sky emailed about was definitely fireworks-related, one of the calls we heard dispatched late last night:

Last night around 10:30, we witnessed a group of teenagers aiming fireworks at one another in the street at 11th Ave SW and Austin. Initially I was concerned about the potential for then to injure themselves, but when their fireworks caught the grass on fire next to the home of our elderly neighbors I realized how easily we could see a house fire this week.

My wife and another neighbor used our fire extinguisher to put out the fire while I was on the phone with emergency services.

At the end of the block, Riverview Playfield is a hotspot every year for amateur fireworks. We need a police presence there to deter more of these same problems tonight.

The wind is supposed to pick up a bit later today, so this isn’t just about fireworks safety – be careful with grilling, outdoor fire pits, etc.

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UPDATE: Car-on-side crash on 14th SW

July 4, 2023 9:06 am

| 18 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(Added: Photo sent by John)

9:06 AM: Seattle Fire and Police are responding to 14th/Holden for a report of a flipped-car crash. Updates to come.

9:09 AM: Arriving crews say this is a “small sedan on its side at the top of a stairwell” closer to SW Kenyon. One person is reported to be in the vehicle and firefighters say they do not appear to be seriously hurt.

9:14 AM: The response is being downsized.

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FOURTH OF JULY: West Seattle info for today/tonight

July 4, 2023 6:07 am

| 15 COMMENTS

| Holidays | West Seattle news

(Alki Point Lighthouse, a U.S. Coast Guard facility, photographed by Jerry Simmons)

The holiday is here! As usual, we’ve assembled a list of potentially helpful information:

TRANSIT/TRANSPORTATION

Metro buses – Sunday schedules with extra late-night service
Water Taxi – West Seattle route on Sunday schedule; Vashon route not running
Washington State Ferries – Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth on weekend/holiday schedule
Sound Transit – Here’s the holiday plan
Parking – No charge for street parking in neighborhoods where the city charges for it
Traffic cameras – Here’s the citywide map; here’s our West Seattle-relevant page

WHAT’S HAPPENING/NOT HAPPENING

West Seattle Fourth of July Kids’ Parade – Starts at 10 am – newest info here. (44th/Sunset)

Art on the Corner – Starting at 8:30 am, artist Bonnie Bennedsen sells her work at 39th/Holden to benefit the West Seattle Food Bank.

Avalon Glassworks’ Art-Glass Seconds Sale – 10 am-2 pm, info here. (2914 SW Avalon Way)

Summer’s lowest tide – Out to -4.0 feet at 12:11 pm; see when and where to find Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists, here.

Barbecue at the beach – Chef Gino from TheHomeSkillit.com will be grilling, with live music, 1-10 pm near the Alki Bathhouse. (60th/Alki)

C & P Coffee 20th Anniversary Party – 3 pm, celebrate community and coffee! (5612 California SW)

WHAT’S OPEN/CLOSED

Aquatics – Highland Park Spraypark (11 am-8 pm), E.C. Hughes and Lincoln Park wading pools (12 pm-7 pm), and Colman Pool (12 pm-7 pm) are all open today.

Other Seattle Parks facilities – here’s the closed/open list

Seattle Public Library – All locations closed

Businesses – We don’t have a full formal list but have heard from a few – Youngstown Coffee (6030 California) wants you to know they’re open 8 am-2 pm; Thunder Road Guitars (WSB sponsor) is closed. … (added) Freshy’s is open, 7 am-7 pm (2735 California) … Any other biznotes? Comment below or text us (206-293-6302)!

Post Offices and banks – closed

FIREWORKS

Please don’t DIY. It’s warm, it’s dry, fires start easily – last night in the span of just two hours in West Seattle, SFD was dispatched to half a dozen grass/tree fires. Watch the Lake Union Seafair Summer Fourth fireworks at 10:20 pm instead, either from a north-facing West Seattle spot that’ll get you a good view, or by going there, OR via live video. … No Three Tree Point fireworks again this year … Across the water: Vashon Island‘s fireworks show returns, over Quartermaster Harbor.

LOST/FOUND PET?

Furry friends may bolt on the Fourth if fireworks spook them. If you need it, WSB has the only all-West Seattle lost/found-pets page – email or text info/pic (with your contact #), westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302.

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