West Seattle, Washington
04 Tuesday
(Photo provided by Jake W.)
Lots of questions this morning about that fire on Alki overnight. Four portable toilets that had been brought in before the Canoe Journey arrivals burned at about 1 am. Archived police radio indicates SFD asked for SPD response because witnesses said “the suspect was still on scene.” What happened from there, we don’t know yet; we’re still trying to confirm whether the suspect was detained. We asked SFD for information and they said only that the fire was extinguished – categorized as a “rubbish fire” – and that no one was hurt; their investigator was not dispatched. Another reader photo of the aftermath:
Another texter tells us a recycling can and trash can burned too, and adds, “As of 8:30 this morning, the city had caution tape wrapped around the area and (was) taking photos.”
8:18 PM: Thanks for the tip. Seattle Fire has a full response at a house in the 5000 block of 49th SW [vicinity map]. Updates to come.
8:21 PM: We’re en route. SFD says the fire is under control.
(Added: WSB photos)
8:37 PM: They’re dismissing some of the responding units. As seen in our photo, no smoke visible now. An SFD lieutenant told us no one’s been hurt and preliminary indication is that this might have started as a kitchen fire; they’re investigating.
9:10 PM: Four units remain logged to the scene; the fire is out.
A fire response near Camp Second Chance (9701 Myers Way S.) requires SFD to run a hose across Myers, so they’re asking for SPD help to close the road. We don’t know anything about the fire except that it’s a one-engine response. Avoid the area.
A big SFD response was on its way to a building in the 2300 block Bonair, but the first to arrive have reported “no fire.”
The initial call was a “full response” at Brookdale West Seattle (4611 35th SW) but firefighters have discovered it’s nothing more than “burning plastic on a stove top,” so they’re reducing the response.
(WSB file photo, King County Sheriff’s Office drone)
The Seattle Fire Department is launching a review and feedback process for its proposal to obtain and use up to three drones. The SFD announcement explains:
mThe Emergency Response Aerial Technology – or ERAT – would be used in a limited number of fire, medical or rescue responses where having an aerial view would provide greater safety for firefighter/EMTs, paramedics and residents, and increase firefighting and rescue success.
If approved by the City Council and Mayor, Seattle Fire will use ERAT for specific types of responses, including fires in buildings, brush fires, water rescues, mass casualty incidents, technical rescues, hazardous materials and energy responses.
The department is also proposing to use the ERAT for less common but high-risk operations such as marine fires, railway incidents and after a natural disaster such as an earthquake.
Had such technology been in place in 2025, Seattle Fire would have used the ERAT 2,589 times. For perspective, Seattle Fire received 197,926 calls and dispatched units to 108,763 incidents in 2025.
The ERAT will only provide a livestream of the incident to designated fire personnel. It will not be recorded, nor will other departments or members of the public be allowed to view the livestream.
The announcement opens a one-month period for comment; there’s more information, incluing short and long reports, linked from the city’s Surveillance Technologies Under Review page. One of the documents says the department would get the drones for free via a donation from the Seattle Fire Foundation, but it would expect to spend $60,000 a year maintaining each drone. The department is also having four public meetings, two in person (neither is in West Seattle) and two online – details are here.
Malia sent that photo Monday night after noticing the burned chair and fire damage on the turf at Madison Middle School‘s playfield. It was long out by the time she happened onto it. When she called it to our attention, we looked for an SFD call and couldn’t find one. So we pursued inquiries with the school district and she contacted SFD, which said they would give the information to investigators, and asked that anyone with information contact SPD.
Meantime, a district spokesperson replied to us today regarding repairs and whether the damage would limit use of the field:
Damage is located outside the playing lines of the field so the field can be used while we wait on the vendor. A vendor has been contacted to provide a quote and then schedule a crew to come a repair the scorched area that is roughly a five-foot circle. Once vendor reaches back and (purchase order) is generated, the vendor will perform the repairs and access for any damage below the fibers at that time … and repair as needed. A police report was filed about the damage.
We don’t (yet) have the incident number but if you have information for investigators (via the SPD non-emergency line at 206-625-5011), the official address for Madison to which you can refer is 3429 45th Avenue SW. Madison’s turf is relatively new, and levy-funded; we covered the dedication two years ago.
A traffic camera looking southward over Highway 509 captured the column of smoke from a fire burning on what’s described as a hillside between Myers Way at 101st – south of the city-limit line – and southbound Highway 509. Before its location was pinpointed, Seattle Fire crews were dispatched as well as King County units; one West Seattle engine is reported to be still on scene helping.
9:15 PM: That corner of 34th/Barton is just one of several where Seattle Fire crews have had to put out fires blamed on people throwing fireworks out of car windows or moon roofs and driving away. The photos are from Arlene, who was passing through when she saw this burning shrub:
She also saw what might have been the ignition source, lying in the street:
Shortly after, SFD had a similar call at nearby 35th/Cambridge, another of at least five West Seattle “brush” or “rubbish” fires in which fireworks are suspected, and it’s not even dark yet. We’ll update as the night goes on.
10:10 PM: SFD just had a short-lived “rubbish fire” call at 57th/Alki; earlier tonight, there was a report of a trash can on fire at or near the same spot.
10:20 PM: SFD is now dispatching to a small “brush fire” on Fauntleroy near Edmunds.
10:29 PM: With Alki usually jammed with people watching the partial view of the downtown fireworks, police radio indicates they’re detouring traffic as is usual, to try to lessen the jam once everyone tries to leave simultaneously. That includes a closure of the Harbor offramp from the West Seattle Bridge for a while.
10:36 PM: They’re having some trouble with that – the hill between Hamilton Viewpoint Park and Harbor Avenue is reportedly choked with vehicles pulled over to see the fireworks, so detouring Harbor Ave traffic that way is problematic.
They’re also diverting traffic away from northbound California north of Admiral (traffic-cam screenshot above.
10:50 PM: Dispatch for “grass fire” at 9th SW and SW Roxbury.
11:37 PM: Traffic patterns are going back to normal, officers have told dispatch. Meantime, some West Seattle SFD crews are going to a big fire on the other side of 509 in northwest South Park, in the 8100 block of Occidental. … A few minutes later, SFD had its third “full response” in the city (this one plus one in North Seattle and one on Beacon Hill) and they’re stretched thin.
12:15 AM: Police are converging on the 2600 block of Alki for a report of a big fight and someone bleeding. … They found a 35-year-old man with some facial cuts and bruising and are also trying to break up the rumble.
5:50 AM: One serious crash reported early this morning – thanks to the reader who sent the photo of a crash on Fauntleroy Way SW just southwest of Fauntleroy/California around 3 am. This initially drew a “rescue extrication” response. We have an inquiry out to SFD about injuries.
11:19 AM: SFD spokesperson David Cuerpo tells WSB that four people were treated after that crash but none needed/wanted to be taken to a hospital:
21-year-old male in stable condition
18-year-old male in stable condition
18-year-old male in stable condition
18-year-old male in stable condition
ADDED SUNDAY NIGHT: A reader says gunfire was mixed in with the fireworks mayhem on Alki, and the first few seconds of their video – far left of screen – shows it:
We’ll be following up Monday on various fronts.
8:49 AM: Thanks for the tip. Seattle Fire is sending a “full response” to the Stewart Manor apartments at 34th and Morgan. Updates to come.
(Added: Reader photo)
8:52 AM: SFD says the fire is in a fourth-floor unit.
8:58 AM: Morgan is blocked at 34th and police are arriving to help with traffic control.
9:03 AM: The fire’s under control; medic units are being dismissed, which suggests no serious injuries. Firefighters are also working on ventilation to get smoke out of the building.
9:12 AM: Radio traffic also indicates police are investigating the fire.
9:29 AM: It’s out now and SFD confirms no one was hurt.
3:07 PM: Thanks for the tip. Seattle Fire has a midsize response in the 5900 block of 35th SW, downgraded from an initial “full response.” Avoid the area for a while.
3:11 PM: Most of the responding units have been dismissed.
9:02 AM: Just after 4 am, a briefly big Seattle Fire response was sent to the 8800 block of 38th SW [vicinity map] in Upper Fauntleroy. SFD spokesperson Kaila Lafferty says the fire was on the stairs and deck of a townhouse – one of several relatively new homes on the block – but firefighters “got it out quickly and started releasing crews.” No injuries. And no word yet on the cause.
11:57 AM: We have that now, from spokesperson Lafferty: “The cause was determined accidental. The fire was in an unoccupied duplex and was likely caused by faulty or damaged electrical wiring inside of wall smoldering through the stud and joist spaces. It spread to the stairwell, leading to a rooftop patio.”
2:43 PM Thanks for the tips, and to Ashley for the photo! Fire crews have been busy this hour with a reported fire in a Waste Management truck at 56th SW and Hillcrest Avenue SW. Three SFD units are still logged to the scene; avoid the area for a while.
2:51 PM: And thanks to Michael for the photo above showing the vicinity. Another of the responding units has just been dismissed. According to the archived radio exchanges, this is believed to have been sparked by the truck making contact with power lines. No reports of injuries but we’ll verify that with SFD.
7:56 PM: Seattle Fire has a sizable response arriving in the 9000 block of 10th SW [vicinity map], for what’s described as a “brush fire” dangerously close to a residence. First units arriving say it’s 10′ by 20′ and they’re downsizing the initial callout.
8:49 PM: The fire was out and all units cleared within a half-hour.
(Added: WSB photos)
4:50 PM: Seattle Fire is arriving at a house fire in the 5600 block of 16th SW, just north of South Seattle College [vicinity map]. Firefighters report “heavy fire and smoke.” Updates to come.
4:55 PM: Smoke is visible from miles away. Firefighters have water on the fire as a first step toward extinguishing it; they’re calling for a few more crews.
5:01 PM: The fire is reported to be under control. Northbound traffic on 16th is being diverted.
5:47 PM: This fire is out. SFD has a much bigger fire working in the north, smoke visible from north-facing West Seattle; we’ve written about it here.
6:02 PM: Back to this fire scene – 16th SW is now open northbound, officers have just told dispatch. No word of injuries but we’ll be checking with SFD.
3 PM: Seattle Fire has a “full response” going to a townhouse in the 3000 block of 60th SW [vicinity map], and SPD is blocking streets near the scene. Updates to come.
3:04 PM: Arriving units report lots of smoke coming from one unit at a two-story residential building – but then as we typed this, they report “the fire appears to be out, by occupant” and are downsizing the response.
3:41 PM: Our crew talked with SFD on scene.
They traced the fire to a heater and say damage is minimal; no one was hurt.
We obtained followup information today about two West Seattle incidents we reported last weekend:
SUNDAY FIRE: SFD firefighters extinguished a fire at a residence in the 3900 block of SW Holly on Sunday afternoon. Today SFD spokesperson Kaila Lafferty tells WSB today, “The cause of the fire was determined accidental, likely caused by a charging electrical device overheating and igniting nearby combustible materials.”
SATURDAY OUTAGE: More than 200 customers in North Delridge were out for hours on Saturday, and it was mapped as two adjacent outages, one that started in the morning, one in the evening. City Light spokesperson Julie Moore tells WSB, “The initial outage was due to a line down at Puget Boulevard SW and SW Hudson Street. We don’t know what caused the line to fail. To safely make repairs, the crew had to de-energize a larger area, which appeared on the map as a separate event. All customers were restored around 9:20 p.m.”
4:59 PM: Thanks for the tip! A caller reported SFD at a fire in a ravine area of Admiral, with smoke visible. The log shows a one-engine “brush fire” response at Admiral and Walnut.
5:20 PM: SFD has cleared the scene and closed the call.
3:42 PM: A big Seattle Fire response is arriving in the 4000 block of SW Holly. Updates to come.
3:44 PM: SFD says it’s a fire in a residential unit and that everyone got out OK.
3:47 PM: Firefighters report it’s under control.
4:15 PM: No injuries reported. The cause is under investigation. (Also of note: SFD has updated the address to the 3900 block.)
11:05 PM: Some West Seattle SFD crews have joined a big response to a South Park address checking to the South Transfer Station.
11:13 PM: SFD says firefighters extinguished a “small fire in the SW corner of the building.” Now they’re focused on clearing out the smoke.
(WSB photos by Torin Record-Sand)
11:16 AM: Thanks for the tips – house fire reported in the unincorporated area. More soon.
11:35 AM: Our crew has just arrived. The fire is close to 26th and 104th. They’re seeing damage to a house and RV trailer. Photos added.
11:43 AM: A PIO at the scene confirms to our crew that the fire is out – aside from a few hotspots – and no one was hurt. The fire is reported to have started in the trailer and spread to a house, damaging a second residential structure.
2:46 PM: Here’s everything that PIO Pat Pawlak, speaking today for Fire District 2 (North Highline/Burien), told us at the scene:
Thanks to Howard for the tip! Seattle firefighters are back today at soon-to-be-demolished residential buildings on Fauntleroy Way SW south of The Triangle – that’s Highland Park-based Engine 11 out front as of a short time ago.
Firefighters are training – particularly in techniques such as ventilation; we heard chainsaw roaring just as we walked up for a quick pic. We’re awaiting official info from SFD but from past coverage, we’re aware of this program through which you can offer a structure for practice like this before it’s torn down.
P.S. We wrote about redevelopment plans for this site a year and a half ago.
5:50 PM: SFD has just upsized the response to an Arbor Heights house fire, in the 10200 block of 44th SW. Arriving units have declared it a “working fire.” We’re headed that way. Updates to come,
(WSB photos)
5:54 PM: Firefighters say the fire – which is centered in the house’s basement – is under control.
6:06 PM: Adding photos. The fire has been declared “tapped” (out). … Our crew at the scene talked to firefighters and they confirm no one was hurt.
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