West Seattle, Washington
31 Sunday
These amazing photos are courtesy of Garrett Burke, who posted them on his blog with his harrowing fire story, which you also can read in comments on our earlier posts.
We are just back from going down to check out the big fire near Cali/Genesee; Cali is blocked between Oregon and Dakota because of the huge response. The burned building is out of view but a neighbor who says he made the 911 call told us at the scene that it’s the under-construction condo building on the east side of Cali and at least one of its floors collapsed as it burned (comments on our first post below would seem to confirm that). He says there were huge flames for a while. The entire blocked-off zone is full of fire units (more than two dozen called out, according to the city 911 site); it appears at least one person got hurt — we saw someone on a stretcher wheeled into an aid car. You can expect the street to stay blocked off for quite some time while this is investigated; we will check back after the sun comes up to see how much damage was done.
Lots of notes about the fire this morning at Longfellow Creek Apartments (5915 Delridge, same area as one of the recent shootings). 11:30 AM UPDATE: This photo just in from WSB reader Joel (thank you!); more info beneath it. 2:56 PM UPDATE: Some video here.
ORIGINAL 10:26 AM POST: Here’s WSB reader Sage K’s eyewitness account from the inbox (thank you to everyone who wrote!):
A fire started around 4 am in the Longfellow Creek Apartments @ 5915 Delridge Way SW. The fire was contained to D building where it started and no one was seriously hurt. Apparently the fire started when someone on the ground level was smoking in bed and set an oxygen tank on fire. The fire-starter got some minor burns to their feet from trying to stomp the fire out and was taken to the hospital for treatment. But no one else had injuries. The fire spread up the back side of the building through the balconies and to the roof. The roof was vented over the fire and damage was mostly contained to those 2 apartments right above the flash point. Several people will be displaced; the Red Cross was on hand to help them with accommodations. A Metro bus was brought in for the displaced people to wait in out of the cold until everything was sorted out and they were able to be escorted in to gather some belongings. I saw around 8 fire trucks, 2 command vehicles and a command post along with a few aid cars. By about 8am most of the scene was cleared and vehicle access was returned to Delridge. I live in (a different) building of that complex as was lucky enough to be as far as possible from the fire. People here were really good about helping out their neighbors in their time of need.
From Creighton Space (one of the 75-plus sites featured on our Other Blogs In WS page): A poster near his home promises a reward for solving an arson, but where was the fire? (We’ll check with our police contacts in the morning if no one solves this sooner.)
We don’t have details but we do know from the city fire site that the big Fire Department response downslope from Admiral was at 31st & City View. Couldn’t get any closer than the view you see below. One WSB reader says smoke could be seen from downtown for a while.
We’ve received reports of several overnight fires blamed on fireworks around WS, but the one in the High Point vicinity was by far the biggest. News coverage includes this P-I article, an update from the Times, and a KIRO update with links to video. We’re glad to hear nobody was hurt, but honestly, this is why personal fireworks are banned in cities like ours. Fun, sure; dangerous and damaging, unquestionably, no matter how hard you try to keep it safe.
Thanks to the WSB readers who sent word of an overnight apartment fire @ 6314 42nd SW that woke up a lot of folks north of Morgan Junction (here’s a bit more on that building). Special thanks to Christopher Boffoli for sending photos of the fire and police activity (which he says blocked off Graham for a while; he also reports it was apparently an electrical fire):
Not a very cheery week on this side of the bay, is it? Tonight’s news, a fire at an Arbor Heights house has killed a woman. The P-I says her son was badly burned trying to save her.
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