4:08 PM: That’s smoke, not fog, drifting over the West Seattle Bridge in our framegrab from an SDOT traffic camera near the 4th Avenue South exit. That exit is blocked off right now because of what’s logged as an “encampment fire” toward the end of the ramp. So if you’re headed for 4th any time soon, you’ll want to use 1st and surface Spokane Street instead.
4:41 PM: SFD has cleared the scene and the ramp is reopening.
This is why we don’t want people “camping” underneath infrastructure. It’s not because we “don’t want to look at them”, a common accusation often hurled by the laissez-faire crowd, but because it’s incredibly dangerous and unsafe for everyone involved, with major consequences for hundreds or thousands of people as soon as anything goes wrong.
Single family homes catch fire too. Do you want those kept away from everything and everybody in case there’s a fire? Or do housed people not strike you as “dangerous and unsafe” the way the unhoused do?
You’re right, encampments would make more sense in neighborhoods rather than under bridges. Does that resolve your concern, LAMITCN? Since the issue is apparently about fires that could possibly inconvenience traffic and not about having to see poor people?
Would be nice to see that area fenced off and large rocks placed in the area. Thankfully no one was hurt.
They’re back to camping under the 1st Ave bridge too and gathering large items which can easily burn and cause chaos during our commutes.
Bridges are expensive. Here in Washington our bridges have been allowed to fall into disrepair. The last thing we need is another accidental fire in a homeless camp destroying another bridge. We suffered years already without the use of the West Seattle bridge. Enough is enough.
There was a large open fire right there when I came down the fourth Avenue ramp about a month ago. Definitely homeless people. I called the fire department because there’s a lot of long dry grass right next to the ramp( to the east.). The flames were at least 6 feet high. I had to continue driving, so I don’t know if they ever got there. Huge flames!
Recall Philadelphia. After the fire below they got that bridge repaired in 2 weeks. Ponder that.
We were taking that offramp last Tuesday and the same thing happened. Who’s property is that?
I also saw smoke last week Wed. or so at 6:30 am as I took the exit to work. I wondered if it was homeless down there with a warming fire.
Sorry, comment time is over.
As seen from Costco parking lot.
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