UPDATE: Big fire by 1st Avenue South Bridge

(Texted photo: Smoke as seen looking south from Metro bus)

4:51 PM: Thanks for the tips. If you’re seeing the smoke, SFD is arriving at what’s described as a brush fire near 1st Avenue S./East Marginal Way S. and firefighters have just told dispatch they have to block the northbound 1st Avenue S. Bridge.

(Texted photo: Smoke as seen looking northeast from Westwood)

5:03 PM: Firefighters have reported “live wires down across Marginal Way.” They’re bringing in more units to deal with this. They’re also depending on Seattle City Light to de-energize the lines.

5:13 PM: Screengrab from the East Marginal/Michigan SDOT camera a moment ago:

5:41 PM: As noted in comments, the downed wires/poles in the area have taken out power to 500+ customers, and some traffic signals – the pink areas comprise the outage zone, as shown on the Seattle City Light map:

5:48 PM: They’ve just declared that after more than an hour, the fire is under control. … Moments later, dispatch reported a call about a live wire under the bridge near Front St., so again, take great care anywhere in that area while this is still a working incident.

6:18 PM: Here’s how SFD summarizes the fire via X/Twitter: “A brush fire that extended to an RV, several semi-trucks and at least two utility poles.”

6:49 PM: Not out yet.

7:41 PM: Northbound 99 still blocked at north end of 1st Avenue S. Bridge.

8:34 PM: SFD says firefighters will likely remain at the scene for hours to come. The department’s Fireline website has more info on the firefight to this point.

2:33 AM: Road closure still in effect.

27 Replies to "UPDATE: Big fire by 1st Avenue South Bridge"

  • Jeff July 9, 2024 (4:56 pm)

    Yes, we are seeing the smoke ( which seems to be getting more dense after 10 minutes ) from our place jn Southworth.

  • WS resident July 9, 2024 (4:58 pm)

    Appears to be a sizable fire.  

    • K July 9, 2024 (5:07 pm)

      From the SDOT camera:

  • Marina July 9, 2024 (5:06 pm)

    Can see it from Me Kwa Mooks!

  • Resident July 9, 2024 (5:10 pm)

  • KD July 9, 2024 (5:17 pm)

    From the tv news screengrab, it look to be right where those set of illegally parked RV’s and all the belongings are, that little wedge of space just as you curve over to on ramp for southbound Bridge 

  • Paul July 9, 2024 (5:26 pm)

    If you’re driving in the area you need to be very careful because the power is out and people are not obeying the stop light four-way stop when the power is out. The intersection of 4th and Michigan is a nightmare

  • Question Authority July 9, 2024 (5:30 pm)

    It’s the hodgepodge of container chassis, semi trailer boxes, flotsam and rv campers at the “Y” between the Michigan offramp and the North end of the 1st Ave bridge.  It’s been an ever increasing mess that only brings this outcome unfortunately.

  • Rhonda July 9, 2024 (5:43 pm)

    We can see it here in Bellevue. Looks like a tornado.

  • Wk July 9, 2024 (5:49 pm)

    Just drove past it. Seems like fire is getting worse. Power polls are done. Semi and rvs are on fire and surrounding area. 

  • Alki resident July 9, 2024 (6:23 pm)

    We just came through there from Costco. The semis and RV’s are burning that were parked there. Traffic is a mess so don’t even think about it. 

    • Costco to Alki July 9, 2024 (8:16 pm)

      Costco to Alki does not go by this area.

      • Alki resident July 9, 2024 (8:44 pm)

        What did that have to do with my travels going south? Strange 

      • Question Authority July 9, 2024 (9:19 pm)

        That’s as relevant as saying there’s only one road across the Cascades because you say so.

  • Sam-c July 9, 2024 (7:04 pm)

    I can’t imagine fighting a huge fire in this heat. Thank you fire-fighters.

    • CW July 10, 2024 (6:52 am)

      Ditto! Thank you firefighters! If you ever follow SFDLive you know they go from one call to the next especially in this weather. And they are still underfunded and understaffed. 

  • Question Authority July 9, 2024 (9:24 pm)

    I give it 10 days before the RV camp just South of there get a pink sticker, jeopardizing bridges with fire potential doesn’t go over well.

    • Spooled July 9, 2024 (10:36 pm)

      I wish that sticker carried weight.  Like a guaranteed impound within 24hrs or less.  Around here they gleefully scrape that thing right off and laugh for another month / year.  :(

    • K July 10, 2024 (8:02 am)

      The fire started in the brush, and was more likely to have been started by someone flicking a cigarette out the window than any of the semis or other vehicles that were affected.  Maybe if we started treated smokers the way we do the homeless, there’s be fewer brush fires.

      • The truth July 10, 2024 (9:32 am)

        Please treat smokers like the homeless! We could smoke indoors again because laws would’t apply to us 😂

        • K July 10, 2024 (12:09 pm)

          Lol, when have you ever seen a restaurant or bar welcome in a homeless person and offer them a table?  

          • Question Authority July 10, 2024 (1:23 pm)

            There’s this understandable rule that you get what you pay for, restaurants and bars are not in business to serve free handouts. 

      • WiseWoman July 11, 2024 (3:10 am)

        Yup this. Seen so many stupid people throwing cigarettes out the window. Who even smokes now that there is vaping. Yuck! We need Smoky the Bear ads again on tv & radio for those drivers who are Stuck on Stupid!!

  • JC July 9, 2024 (9:41 pm)

    Passed by it at 9:20pm. Firefighters still working on it. Lots of smoke still in the area. 

  • Admiral-2009 July 9, 2024 (10:51 pm)

    Has the cause of the brush catching fire been determined?

  • Lola July 10, 2024 (11:01 am)

    No damage to the bridge at all as it was all on 1st ave.  Just the loss of power while they fixed the downed lines.  Some lanes were closed since there was so much smoke and water damage till it got cleaned up.  Everything is real dry this time of year if you think of flicking your butt’s or ashes out the window.  

Sorry, comment time is over.