West Seattle, Washington
12 Monday
12:44 PM: Thanks for the tips and video. This past hour, firefighters were called to the center of the main Jefferson Square lot to put out that car fire. Here’s our photo of the aftermath:
Firefighters wouldn’t comment to our photographer regarding the suspected cause – they had to move on because the department is currently crunched citywide with two building fires in other neighborhoods, one of which has gone to two alarms. However, the fire appeared to have started in the engine compartment, and there were no police on scene or any other indication of anything suspicious.
ADDED 1:08 PM: Thanks to Josh for this video showing the fire and SFD as Engine 36 rolled up and started work:
He says he spoke to the car’s owner and loaned her his phone so she could call a friend for help.
7:31 PM: Thanks for the tip and pic. Avoid 41st (updated location) between Alaska and Edmunds in The Junction for a while – SFD is there on a call dispatched as “car fire.” No info on circumstances other than a description of the car as a BMW; no injuries reported so far – we’ll follow up with SFD.
8:06 PM: SFD has closed out the call.
(Thanks to Trileigh for sending the photos)
3:25 PM: Seattle Fire crews are responding to a possible house fire in the 6500 block of Beach Drive SW [vicinity map]. Updates to come.
3:30 PM: Crews have not yet found a fire but say a resident told them smoke had been coming from the roof. … They say the attic is clear, so they’re dismissing most of the units.
3:51 PM: Beach Drive is still blocked as of a few minutes ago, texters tell us, but SFD has just given the clear to cancel all units, so that shouldn’t last too much longer.
1:15 PM: Police are in the (corrected) West Duwamish Greenbelt between Riverview and West Marginal Way, where they’d gone because of a vehicle possibly with stolen plates, found but on fire. They’ve told dispatch that the fire appears to have been set; SFD has responded too, but it’s apparently happening in a tough-to-access place. They’ve also reported that the burning van has had two explosions – so if you’re in the area and think you’ve heard shots, that’s probably what you heard. So far no description of suspect(s) in the arson but the investigation and response continues.
(Reader photo: Smoke rising from greenbelt as seen from Riverview Pee-Wee Fields)
3:02 PM: The vehicle was reported fully engulfed in flames at one point and described as a van possibly belonging to a local nonprofit.
6:24 PM: Added the photo sent by a reader of what appears to be the burned van, seen by an area resident that saw it while walking on a trail near Riverview.
10:33 PM: Here’s the police summary about this incident, released tonight:
At 1129 hours, officers were dispatched to a suspicious vehicle call. The caller stated there was an occupied that drove on the walking trail in a wooded area and appears to be stuck. Caller stated the driver appeared to be smoking something. When officers arrived, they attempted to knock on the vehicle but quickly recognized there was a larger than normal amount of smoke in the vehicle (cargo van). Officers checked to make sure there was nobody inside and it was unoccupied. The rear window broke out, due to the fire and officers observed the lone rear seat was on fire and there was some sort of device with wires coming out of it, underneath the seat. They backed away from the vehicle to get to a safe distance. While moving away from the vehicle there was a significant explosion inside. ABS was called and responded to the scene. It was determined there was an improvised incendiary device at the seat that exploded to create the larger fire that fully engulfed the van. SFD arrived on-scene and was able to extinguish the fire. No citizens or officers were injured from the explosion.
If you have any info, the SPD case # is 2026-000421.
4:40 PM: Seattle Fire has sent a “full response” to a possible house fire the 3400 block of 30th SW [map],between the south end of Harbor Ave SW and the bottom of the Admiral Way hill. Updates to come.
(Added: View from SDOT’s Harbor/Spokane camera)
4:44 PM: A unit on scene just told dispatch it appears to be a “small fire between two houses” that might already be out.
4:46 PM: They’re canceling many of the responding units after confirming it is a “small exterior fire” possibly related to a fireplace.
4:54 PM: The fire is confirmed out (“tapped”).
5:04 PM: The entire response is in the process of closing.
10:17 PM: Seattle Fire is sending a “full response” to a possible fire in an apartment complex at 800 SW Trenton in Highland Park. Updates to come.
10:19 PM: So far the first units to arrive haven’t detected any sign of smoke or fire, so they’re downsizing the response to two units.
10:30 PM: The entire call is closed.
4:44 PM: Seattle Fire has a full response arriving in the 3700 block of Belvidere SW [vicinity map] and has declared it a “working fire.” Updates to come.
(Added: WSB photos unless otherwise credited)
4:46 PM: Firefighters told dispatch that everyone has gotten out safely.
4:49 PM: They’ve just declared the fire “under control.”
(Added: Photo sent by SeanO)
4:53 PM: And now SFD says the fire is out. They’re dismissing some units.
5:12 PM: Our crew at the scene has talked with a resident who confirms no one was hurt, and with the incident commander, who says the fire was limited to the garage. They expect the residents to be able to go back in soon.
11:23 AM: A Seattle Fire Department “full response” is headed to a home in the 6500 block of 39th SW [vicinity map]. The dispatch was for “a lot of smoke” inside the house, possibly from a “basement kitchen.” Updates to come.
11:27 AM: Incident command reports, “We just have smoke, no fire,” so they’re downsizing the response.
9:31 PM: Thanks to everyone who’s sent photos of that short-lived fire by the former Pecos Pit building on 35th just south of the entrance to the bridge. SFD reports it’s out and classified it as a “dumpster fire.” No other info yet.
9:39 PM: Police are investigating. No injuries reported.
9:44 PM: Matching tonight’s photos to Google Street View, it was the dumpster corral just south of the ex-restaurant, which closed abruptly 10 months ago. (We recently asked City Light, the property owner, about their plans for it, and they replied, “The site is currently being evaluated for City Light’s purposes as part of our larger real estate portfolio. We are looking at both short-term options and long-term activation for utility purposes.”)
ADDED 4:43 PM THURSDAY: We followed up today. First, here’s a photo of the aftermath:
We also requested the police-report narrative, which did not identify a cause for the fire but focused on reports that people had been living in the enclosure:
At 9:25 PM On October 24, 2025, I [Ofc. X. XXXX #9054] saw a large dumpster fire as 3F21, located at 4400 35 Av SW.
The call detail:
While en route to a separate call, I saw a fire burning just south of the Pecos Pit BBQ [4400 35th Av SW] in the dumpster area. Upon arrival, a passerby stated that her friend lives in the enclosure. I checked the perimeter of the fire and did not locate any person. The passerby had left before I was able to contact her. SFD engine 32 responded to the fire shortly after our arrival and were able to successfully neutralize the blaze and did not locate a person inside.
I spoke with the clerk of the nearby 7-11, who was inside the store when the fire broke out. He was unable to provide any information regarding the suspects responsible for the fire.
I interviewed XXXX, who had stated that he lived in the nearby apartments and had called our dispatch center earlier to report the fire. XXXX stated that he had witnessed a white male, thin, black hoodie, black pants, and a backpack leaving southbound on 35th. Furthermore, he stated that he had seen the same person living in the enclosure with a white female for approximately the past two weeks. The two had been a frequent presence in the area and were seen panhandling at the intersection of Fauntleroy WY S. and 35th Ave.
The narrative concluded by noting that SFD’s investigator Marshal 5 decided not to go to the scene.
11:07 AM: SFD has a “full response” arriving in the 2700 block of 61st SW [map] for what’s described as a fire in a “low-rise residential building.” Updates to come.
(Added: Reader photo, firefighters checking other apartments in the building)
11:10 AM: The fire is said to be centered in one apartment of a 3-story “garden-style” building.
11:14 AM: The fire is under control. No injuries reported.
11:18 AM: SFD says the fire “was contained to one unit on the second floor.” Some responders are being dismissed. Their investigator will look into what started it.
(Added: Reader photo)
9:20 AM: Avoid Sylvan Way in the Home Depot vicinity for a while. SFD has a midsize response for what’s described as a “large structure fire in the woods,” after what might have been a propane explosion. They’re blocking Delridge/Orchard too.
9:25 AM: Past the north side of Home Depot, police say one eastbound lane is open.
9:34 AM: Police report “fire is starting to pull their hoses out of the street” so this is wrapping up. No word of any injuries.
8:37 AM: Seattle Fire has a full response in the 8100 block of 16th SW [map]. Avoid the area.
8:40 AM: SFD describes this as a vacant building but says it’s evacuating neighbors as a precaution. Meantime, police are blocking traffic “in all directions” at the scene.
(WSB photos)
8:49 AM: Our crew has just arrived and reports plenty of smoke in the area. Photo added.
9:01 AM: Above, our crew reports heat from the fire appears to have damaged siding on a neighboring house. No injuries reported so far. Neighbors tell us they heard an “explosion” just before the fire broke out, and they say this house had a fire callout earlier this year (we’re looking that up).
9:11 AM: SFD says the fire is under control. Here’s our report on a fire at the same house in January. The archived SFD log reminds us that fire was also in the morning, with a callout just after 9 am. That fire sent two people to the hospital but so far, SFD confirms to us, no injuries related to this one.
9:38 AM: Just talked to the incident commander. They suspect a propane tank (which would explain the “explosion” neighbors report hearing). Some units are being dismissed.
10:03 PM: Seattle Fire has a “full response” headed to a possible fire in a “commercial building” at 20th/Henderson. Updates to come.
10:07 PM: First unit arriving at the scene says it appears to be an exterior fire, possibly originating in a vehicle. But another firefighter just told dispatch they need to check inside because it might have spread.
10:12 PM: Firefighters report “smoke in the hallway” on first floor. Adding reader photo above; we have a crew on the way. … According to the address SFD crews just gave, it’s a residential building.
(Photo by Tim Durkan)
10:20 PM: They traced the fire to a unit, firefighters have told dispatch, but still believe it started with a vehicle; it’s under control.
(Added: Texted photo)
But northbound Delridge Way is blocked by the large response, avoid the area.
(WSB photo by Torin Record-Sand)
10:23 PM: They now believe two units were affected.
10:31 PM: They’ve declared the fire tapped (out). No report of injuries. … Here’s the vehicle it’s blamed on; our crew reports being told this pickup truck’s engine seemingly “exploded”:
(WSB photo)
10:43 PM: The incident commandeer confirms to our crew at the scene that no one was hurt.
(Added: Texted photo)
11:19 PM: Delridge is now open all ways, police have told dispatch. Meantime, our crew has left the scene but photographer Tim Durkan is still there and tells us there’s now suspicion that the fire started in a portable toilet and THEN spread to the truck and on to the apartments.
ADDED 12:14 PM FRIDAY: Here’s what SFD spokesperson David Cuerpo says about the investigation:
The fire involved a portable toilet stall and a car, both located next to an apartment building. The fire extended to the building and caused significant damage to two apartment units. No injuries reported. Investigators ruled the cause of the fire as undetermined.
Thanks for the tip. SFD has responded to what its log classifies as a “dumpster fire with exposure” at California/Alaska. Our tipster says they heard a “large bang” before the sirens. Apparently not a major fire as SFD is already dismissing some units. SDOT camera in the area shows SFD units on SW Alaska along the south side of the Hamm Building (home to businesses including Easy Street Records).
4:35 PM: Seattle Fire has a full response in the 2500 block of SW Barton, describing it only as a “commercial building.” We’re headed that way to find out more.
4:42 PM: We’ve confirmed the original dispatch was for a “kitchen fire” at Westwood Village McDonald’s. Many of the responding units have been dismissed. One person is reported to have been treated for burns and/or smoke inhalation. The fire was quickly put out.
4:49 PM: Our crew at the scene reports it was believed to be a fire in a fryer. No major interior damage but there’s cleanup to do so the restaurant will be closed for some hours, possibly the rest of the night.
4:59 PM: SFD has closed out the call and its remaining crews are departing.
5:08 PM: SFD says the person who was treated is an “adult male” who has been taken to a hospital and is “in stable condition.”
11:15 PM: A Seattle Fire “full response” is headed to an apartment building in the 3200 block of Harbor Avenue SW, where a 911 caller reported seeing flames from the third floor. Updates to come.
11:17 PM: First units arriving report “heavy smoke.”
11:19 PM: Now they’re reporting the fire is out and they’re reducing the response.
11:29 PM: Seattle Fire has a “full response” headed to a possible house fire in the 8800 block of 12th SW [vicinity map]. Updates to come.
11:32 PM: First units on scene say it was a small fire, “now out,” and most of the response is being canceled.
(Reader photo via text)
6:56 PM: If the 90-degree temperature isn’t enough, how about a helping of wildfire smoke too? Several people have pinged us to point out it’s getting smokier, and some have sent photos (even without them, we can tell now that the sunlight is filtered through that unmistakable haze. Checking the National Weather Service‘s most-recent “forecast discussion,” this was anticipated: “… With the switch of wind direction, expect that some haze and smoke from a large fire burning on Vancouver Island may begin to move eastward across the local area. This may be most prominent across the northern portion of the area (the San Juan Islands east into the North Cascades), but another source will be the Bear Gulch fires.” The latter have been burning for weeks on the Olympic Peninsula.
(Photo sent by Melanie from North Admiral)
Keep an eye on your favorite air-quality map; the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency map isn’t detecting it yet but does have this advice about dealing with wildfire smoke.
8:44 PM: It was a shocking-pink sunset. Thanks to those who’ve sent photos – Kay Kendall with the color above, Aaron Brethorst and Curry Gibson with the aftermath below.
5:57 PM: SFD has a ‘fire in building” response headed to 9701 Myers Way South [map] on the southeast edge of West Seattle, site of Camp Second Chance. One of the tiny homes there is reported to be on fire, with one person reported injured. As of last week, 85 people were reported to be living in the tiny homes at CSC, which is West Seattle’s only city-authorized tiny-home village.
6:01 PM: Firefighters just told dispatch that the fire is mostly out thanks to other residents using fire extinguishers (which each unit is required to have). The injured person is reported to be out of the burned tiny home. … The incident commander is already dismissing a few of the responding units.
6:04 PM: Firefighters report that the fire was only a “contents” fire and did not burn the actual 12’x8′ structure. The injured person, meantime, is described as a man about 40 years old.
Last night we were about to publish photos of the smoky sunset when breaking news intervened. Tonight, another chance – this is at least in part because of a fire that’s been burning for three and a half weeks on the Olympic Peninsula. Above and below are photos by James Bratsanos.
And this one is from Gene Pavola:
P.S. Here’s one of the photos we almost published LAST night, sent by Steven Rice:
The Bear Gulch Fire has now burned across more than 3,000 acres.
2:45 PM: Thanks for the tips on this. SFD is sending more reinforcements to a hard-to-fight brush fire in the Camp Long forest. They’ve just described it over the radio as a slow-moving 20′ x 60′ brush fire, 800 feet and downhill from their access location, which means they’re having a challenging time getting water there.
2:56 PM: Added photo from reader, showing smoke visible from Delridge to the east.
3:33 PM: Added another reader photo, this one showing the SFD apparatus staged in Camp Long’s big meadow. That’s not where the fire is – it’s in the forest on the east slope of the park. One radio exchange with dispatch and firefighters just now indicates they’re consulting a captain who’s “wildland-certified.” No word on what sparked this, but as we noted yesterday in coverage of another brush fire in a city park, the rainfall total is sharply below what’s normal by this point in the year – 27 inches since October 1, three-fourths of the normal 36 inches.
4:36 PM: We haven’t heard any further status updates, but firefighters are still in the park.
5:11 PM: They’re starting to dismiss crews.
11:37 AM: SFD is at a “brush fire” call in the EC Hughes Playground (28th/Holden) vicinity and we’re told smoke is visible from some distance, so in case you’re wondering too, that’s what’s happening. We’re headed over for a look.
11:42 AM: Texter (who sent the video added above, showing the smoke) says it’s on the SW Kenyon side, near homes. Fire risk is high – checking the weather stats, we note that the rainfall total is nine inches below what we’d normally have in the “rain year” (since October 1).
12:01 PM: Kenyon is blocked at EC Hughes. Firefighters are still hosing down the southwest side of the park.
12:33 PM: SFD has departed and Kenyon is open again. (Added: Photo above shows scorched slope on southwest side of the park, past the baseball field.)
1:08 PM: After hearing about an arson investigation regarding a fire call this morning near the Southwest Precinct, we asked police for information. They tell us a 46-year-old man was arrested, accused of setting a fire at an encampment across the street from the precinct. Police say an officer saw the suspect get out of what they describe as his “white 2006 Ford Econoline van” around 7:30 am, carrying a gas can, ten walking to the encampment, which “became engulfed in flames” as the suspect returned to his van. Police say the officer described the suspect as “walking out of the brush with smoke and fire trailing him.” They caught up with him after he drove away and arrested him and booked him into jail. No injuries were reported in the fire, which remains under investigation by SPD arson/bomb squad detectives.
SATURDAY UPDATE: The suspect had a probable-cause hearing today. The documents don’t reveal anything about an alleged motive; his “last known address” was downtown. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office requested bail be set at $100,000; the appearance-court judge released the suspect – who does not appear to have a record – on his own recognizance. That does not mean he won’t be charged; prosecutors are awaiting a case referral from SPD.
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