(8/17/2007 photo by Garrett Burke)
That was the scene at 4132 California SW, on the northernmost edge of The Junction, as a huge fire burned in the early-morning hours of August 17, 2007, exactly one year ago today. The next day, investigators announced the fire had been ruled arson. In the ensuing months, we have received occasional e-mail questions wondering if the case was ever solved; a few days ago, we checked back with Seattle Police to see if any progress had been made in the investigation; Officer Jeff Kappel in the Media Unit told WSB by phone that they cannot comment on specifics, except to say it is an “open investigation.” The arson burned an under-construction live/work-unit building, but Knoll Development did not let the fire stop its plans — shortly afterward, as we showed you in this report last December, rebuilding resumed, and today the building is almost done:
We took that photo today. Meantime, if you have any information that might help investigators close this case, you can call Seattle Police (non-emergency line is 206/625-5011) or the national Arson Hotline, 800-55-ARSON.
When that Alki duplex caught fire two and a half weeks ago, its owner was out of town and its tenant managed to get out OK (though her cat was missing for a while). Several people asked in WSB comment threads whether the tenant needed any help, and we renewed that question in an e-mail exchange with a friend of hers. Over the weekend, she e-mailed WSB to say there is one thing that’s proving to be a challenge – finding a new place to live:
Hoping to find a house for rent in the Admiral area, but it’s difficult; if anyone is a good networker and knows of a nice quiet neighborhood that takes dogs, that would be helpful. I really need a nice quiet place to recover from the chaos of the fire and Alki, it’s been too much.
If you have any leads, please post a comment here, or e-mail us and we will forward to her.
(3/26/08 WSB photo)
He vowed he would rebuild, and now he has: Four and a half months after the arson attack that shut down locksmith Michael Dein‘s business, Puget Sound Key and Lock on the north edge of Morgan Junction, he just sent word the shop is about to reopen – and planning to offer a special service:
Just wanted to let everyone know that I am re-opening my shop on Monday!!!
I got my keys back yesterday, and am taking this weekend to set up the shop, so i just wanted to take a second to thank everyone for their support in helping me to reopen my shop. I look forward to being able to continue to serve the community, which I have truly grown to love.
Many of you may not be aware of how serious a problem domestic abuse is in modern society, and in an effort to do our share in making the exit of an abusive relationship safer, we will provide, free of charge, rekeying services to the victims of domestic abuse who have obtained “no contact,” “restraining” or other such lawful decrees. This is an open-ended offer, and we are available 24/7.
Thanks again,
Mike Dein – Puget Sound Key & Lock
206-933-8882
To this date, no arrest has been made in connection with the March 21st early-morning fire that gutted Dein’s shop (6016 California SW); tips are still welcome at 800-55-ARSON. Dein told us the day of the fire that he had no insurance, and that moved WSB Forum Community members to action; a month afterward, they put on a well-attended fundraiser (WSB coverage here).
After the Alki duplex fire two weeks ago tonight, someone commented on WSB that their initial call to 911 was routed to Kitsap County. West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen read that comment, noting it’s happened to him too, and decided to check into it. He and his staff found out what happens in cases like that, why, and one good way to make sure it doesn’t hold up emergency reporting; they shared their discoveries with WSB – read on:Read More
Thanks to Adam and KB for e-mailing about a house fire at 4825 Delridge (map). Adam advises Delridge is blocked in the area (from Edmunds northward for about 2 blocks) because of the fire trucks. Thanks to KB for the pix (re: the first one, he says 4825 is “the house with the ladder” at left). King County property records show this is a four-plex owned by the Seattle Housing Authority. Additional info from Adam – he says the fire had “… flames reaching about 20 feet in the air. We watched from across the street. Firefighters had to use chainsaws to cut a hole in the roof to access the house while spraying water from the hydrants outside.” 2:30 AM UPDATE: Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Dana Vander Houwen gives this update on the media hotline: Firefighters found lots of smoke when they got to the scene and managed to put out the fire quickly; the fire was confined to the second story. Vander Houwen says one adult and four children got out of the residence on their own; nobody was hurt, and they are now getting Red Cross assistance. Too soon to say what caused the fire and how much damage it did; firefighters are continuing to investigate. 5:04 AM NOTE: No update yet on the SFD media line; we’ll check again in a few hours. 9:23 AM UPDATE: Not yet. However, we’ve heard back from Adam, who says the number on the building was 4845, not 4825; the latter number is what was both on the 911 log and the media hotline. 4845 is a privately owned duplex. 10:15 AM UPDATE: An update from the Fire Department — the cause is listed as “accidental electrical fire,” and damage totals $90,000. It was also noted that the people in the duplex were alerted by a smoke alarm.
(7/24/08 photo by David Hutchinson)
Since the Alki duplex fire a week ago yesterday, we’ve continued to check with the Seattle Fire Department regarding their determination of what caused it. Just heard back from SFD spokesperson Dana Vander Houwen, who says investigators just couldn’t find enough evidence – so it will be permanently classified as “undetermined.”
(Photo by David Hutchinson)
Just posted beneath our second report on last night’s 56th/Alki duplex fire (first report here), this message from the duplex tenant:
I would like to thank the Seattle fire dept, they did an amazing job in taking care of myself and my family in this difficult time.
I would also like to remind people that the fire dept could have had an easier time if thay hadn’t needed to deal with all of the spectators. You might want to think in the future, how would I like people to behave if it were my house and my family in danger.
Sincere thanks to all the truly concerned people in my neighborhood!
We saw a small demonstration of that concern just this morning, while briefly stopping in the area for this short followup — one passerby stopped to ask a man outside the charred building if he lived there (he told her he was a friend of the tenant) and if everyone was OK. Meantime, the Seattle Fire Department tells WSB that investigators still need to talk with the duplex’s owner before they can officially determine/announce the fire’s cause. ADDED EARLY SATURDAY: Browsing YouTube, we just found video (posted by “carloberti“) from the fire that we hadn’t seen before – obviously from a cameraphone so low-quality but it shows two things from VERY early on: First, toward the start you can clearly hear authorities on a loudspeaker asking the crowd to make way (as mentioned above); shortly afterward, you see the flash as the growing fire takes out a transformer:
That’s what the burned 56th/Alki duplex looks like this morning from 56th, looking northeast. We just checked with the Fire Department again; still no official information on what investigators believe started the fire. (We published two multiple-update reports last night – with incredible contributions from witnesses, neighbors, many others, thank you again! – #1 is here, #2 is here.) AFTERNOON UPDATE: The Fire Department still isn’t announcing a cause; spokesperson Helen Fitzpatrick told us they need to talk to the owner first (and as we reported last night, she’s out of town). MEANWHILE: Also this morning, the newest information on the Fauntleroy Place (future Whole Foods etc.) demolition:
Project manager Easton Craft from BlueStar tells WSB the final major demolition work – actually bringing down the building – is now scheduled for Monday, because clearing out the interior contents (see the piles in the photo) turned out to be a really big job. Craft says “… they have found more recyclable material (metal/steel, masonry, wood) than they anticipated.” The demolition work started Tuesday (previous WSB coverage here and here; the latest on the FP development, including the design that will be reviewed at a public meeting on August 14th, is here).
(FIRST WSB REPORT WITH MULTIPLE UPDATES, LOTS OF PIX/VIDEO, CAN BE FOUND HERE)
Starting a new post to add more photos and any new information we get on the investigation of tonight’s fire at 2508 56th SW (map). Those two photos above were sent by David Hutchinson, who also contributed to our first 2 1/2 hours of fire coverage. The next photo is from D.S., who says it “was taken before the fire trucks got set up. Neighbors were hosing down the nearby house.”
At the scene, we talked with Shane Gilbert, who describes in this video clip what he heard just as the fire started:
And here’s an odd little scene we recorded around the corner – it’s not quite Nero fiddling while Rome burned, maybe more like taking advantage of a near-captive audience (since Alki Ave was blocked off at that point):
Still no update on the SFD media line (since the information we included in our first report); we’ll check again before taking our brief overnight break. 12:44 AM UPDATE: A tenant from the burned duplex had reported in comments on the first fire report that her cat was missing; now a followup comment says it’s been found. 3 AM UPDATE: Hotline now has an update – no cause determined yet, they need to “talk to a few more people, including the owner, who’s out of town” (as we reported in our first series of updates); the damage is estimated at $150,000 – $100K to the 86-year-old structure, $50K to its contents. Meantime, Logan Jenott sent along a gallery link and word of the unique perspective that afforded the chance to be shooting video as the fire trucks rolled up;
My volleyball team and I were playing a league game on Alki beach when my teammate Rob noticed a small fire burning on the covered deck of a house across the street. As the fire rapidly grew I grabbed my phone and called 911 while my teammates and I raced raced across the street. We were yelling that the house was on fire and my teammates Rob and Pamela pounded on the doors, trying to alert any occupants. One occupant was home on the ground floor and immediately evacuated. It took about 7 minutes for the first fire truck to arrive (my 911 call initially went to Kitsap County and they had to transfer me to Seattle, then I was on hold for about 1 minute before getting a dispatcher); by then the roof over the deck had collapsed, the fire had spread across the deck into the house and to the house next door. A large crowd had gathered and watched as a total of 5 fire trucks arrived and firefighters began battling the blaze.
(scroll down and/or refresh for frequently added updates and photos – FIRST VIDEO CLIP AND PHOTO ARE COURTESY “ROCK STEELE”)
FIRST POST: Thanks to everyone who has called and texted. Lots of reports of big plume of black smoke visible from a long way away. Address is 2440 Alki (map), which checks out to an apartment building, though one caller describes it as “a house.” More than a dozen fire units called out. We’re on the way. Send photos if you have them (westseattleblog@yahoo.com) 9:07 PM UPDATE: (Second) photo above from gallery that TomA linked from the comments section (thank you), taken at 57th/Admiral. 9:12 PM UPDATE: WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli has been at the scene – he says it’s either a single-family home or a duplex-type structure, residential for sure. It was fully engulfed in flames (as you can tell from photo above). No word yet if anyone was hurt; scanner says they’re searching the second floor to be sure no one was inside. Traffic as you would imagine is “a parking lot” as Christopher puts it (and co-publisher Patrick, who is heading there to be our second crew on the scene, confirms it) so if you don’t have to be in that area, stay away. Scanner has firefighters calling in additional reinforcements for “crew rotation.” Patrick reports a SFD fireboat is visible just offshore; (added later) here’s Christopher’s photo of that fireboat:
9:21 PM UPDATE: Patrick talked to an investigator – no injuries, at least so far as they can tell now. Just added photo at very top of post, street-level pic courtesy “Rock Steele” (thank you to everyone sending photos – we’ll add other ones here inline in the post) – Alki News Beacon editor Cami MacNamara reports this is “a house converted to a duplex … the upstairs owner just left for Arizona yesterday.” 9:26 PM UPDATE: More photos just in, from Dartanyon Race, including this one:
Meantime, Patrick reports the fire is considered to be mostly “out,” with hot spots — the incident commander tells WSB investigators are on their way to start figuring out how it started. 9:31 PM UPDATE: Pulling up important info from “rlv” in the comments: “… police have Alki blocked off and are diverting traffic up 55th, which is not a huge street and is thus pretty packed. Please do avoid the area!” 9:34 PM UPDATE: Just added video clip, also courtesy “Rock Steele,” at the very top of this post. Click here for direct link to it on YouTube. 9:37 PM UPDATE: Scanner says a “media camera unit Ford Explorer” is at 56th and Lander and fire crews need it moved. Just in case any of the TV stations are reading this – check on your crews before someone gets towed! Also, Christopher’s photos are coming in – here are a couple:
9:41 PM UPDATE: Briefing from Fire Department public-info officer – cause not known – fire crews will be on scene for some time to come – she confirmed, nobody hurt and nobody home when it happened. 9:51 PM UPDATE: More pics in, this time from David Hutchinson – he shot the first one before fire units arrived, the second one as the first fire units were getting there:
9:58 PM UPDATE: Patrick reports the fire department public-info person has left, but City Light is there now, and has taken down power to part of the surrounding block. We may not have an official cause for a while; one e-mail, plus observations from Christopher at scene, place unofficial suspicion on a barbecue on the second floor – Christopher says it’s a gas grill. Here’s another of his shots, a wide shot from behind the building:
10:10 PM UPDATE: Still more photos continuing to come in – and many capture different aspects of what it took to fight this fire, like these from Thomas Wagner:
And here’s another Christopher Boffoli photo, taking a closer look at a firefighter in action:
Meantime, this photo was sent by Ray Carter, who adds some narrative (beneath the photo):
From Ray:
Seemed like a long response time. I ended up directing traffic for a bit, neighbors were using garden hoses both to help and to prevent spread of fire to their own places, SPD was first on scene…
A good thing to emphasize in coverage might be that:
A) Pedestrian vs Firetruck=flat pedestrian. Do not test this hypothesis, lest you become flat. At a fire scene, DO NOT try and cross roads that are approach paths.
B) DO NOT slow down, look, and stare intently at the fire as you drive past at 5mph – you obstruct Fire/Police/Medical access, and can cost lives and vastly increase property damage. Remember, Fire moves fast,
and so must Emergency Services. Usually 4 minutes from ignition to fully involved.
10:27 PM UPDATE: One of the tenants from the building has posted a comment saying her cat is missing: “… she is a medium sized older cat with mostly brown fur, her right front paw has a limp and her name is Puss, if you have any information (or) find my cat please post it here, I’m still in the area looking for her.” 10:30 PM UPDATE: Listening to the Fire Department’s media-hotline recording, their official info has a different address from the 911 log – 2508 56th SW (56th/Alki) – also describes it as “a fully involved garage fire that extended into a duplex, there was one resident home at the time and a neighbor pounded on the door and got him out.” No cause yet, though. Property records say this duplex was built in 1922. 10:38 PM UPDATE: The King County Parcel Viewer map (screengrab) gives you a better idea of the location:
Also just in, this photo from Vanessa Hutchinson:
Vanessa also blogged about checking WSB for info (and finding it) as soon as she realized something was going on. Thanks for the mention! 11:12 PM UPDATE: We are processing more video to add shortly, including an interview with an eyewitness. Checked with SFD again, still no word on an official cause. 11:59 PM UPDATE: Started a new post for additional photos, some video we brought back from the scene, and any early-am info on cause, Alki Ave status, etc. You’ll find that post here.
Fire on Findlay just west of California. Your editor here happened to be on the 22 headed back to Summer Fest when Engine 37 and Medic 32 screamed past – and stopped right in front of the bus, at Findlay. Smoke was visible coming from the lower floor of an apartment building on Findlay just west of California. The bus was blocked, so we got out; talked to the passer-by who first called 911 – she said she was walking back from Summer Fest when she saw the smoke and flames from a dumpster on the street (carport) level of the building. Firefighters got it out quickly; California is now open again (we got back on the 22 a few minutes and a few blocks later). Cameraphone photo to come. 4:36 PM UPDATE: Just added our cameraphone photo – and we’re adding another below – thanks to West Seattle’s State Sen. Joe McDermott, who also found himself at the fire scene as he was heading north on California – he’ll be here at Summer Fest in the 34th District Democrats‘ booth for the next few hours, and when he stopped here at the Info Booth, we found ourselves comparing notes on the fire:
WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli sends first word from the scene: “Some kind of electrical fire” on the industrial waterfront. Huge callout, per the live 911 log, which describes it as “pier fire”; nobody hurt, according to what Christopher’s been told at the scene. ADDED 9:53 PM: Photos from Christopher. No further details on exactly what happened, except for re-confirmation everybody’s OK:
Though a couple citywide-media articles implied police wouldn’t really go around dealing with fireworks calls, what we’re hearing on the scanner is a different story- plenty of them around the city, and it sounds like officers are being dispatched in some cases. Fire crews are busy too; Engine 37 (from 35th SW) just went to an “illegal burn” call at California/Willow south of Morgan Junction, reportedly “guys drinking and having a bonfire in the front yard.” We drove Harbor/Alki Aves just after dusk, noting the RVs setting up in prime streetside viewing spots in advance of tomorrow, and seeing bottle rockets bursting in air from the neighborhoods south of the beach. Here’s the live 911 link if you don’t already have it bookmarked and want to check what you’re hearing.
We saw the 911 call for “bark fire” at Westwood Village a short time ago; sounded too small to go. But Tyson just sent this firsthand account and it sounds like some folks deserve kudos:
I’m a daily reader of the West Seattle Blog and just thought I’d share something I just witnessed. Not exactly breaking news or anything but worth a note. Just walked out of the Westwood Village Barnes and Noble and saw a huge plume of smoke coming from the Target parking lot. I then noticed that one of the bushes used for landscaping was engulfed in flames and it was quickly spreading with help of the surrounding mulch. Target and Westwood Village security were very quick in responding to the fire as was the fire department.
No confirmation yet but speculation is that it might have been caused by a discarded cigarette – that sort of thing causes a lot of fires like that this time of year, so if you smoke, please be careful.
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli; added at 10:57 pm)
An apartment building at 3821 Beach Drive, according to 911; WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli is there so we should find out more shortly. Map here. Thanks to everyone who has texted/e-mailed/called about this! 10:02 PM UPDATE: Christopher says residents reported hearing “an explosion.” 10:12 PM UPDATE: Christopher says fire crews are wrapping up, so not a big incident BUT Beach Drive is closed in both directions at that spot. He also confirms, no injuries. What fire there was, was in a lower unit on the water side (this is a waterfront building), and the person who lives in the unit was NOT home at the time. Christopher reports fire investigators are there now and trying to figure out how the fire started. 10:25 PM UPDATE: One lane of Beach Drive now open. 10:40 PM UPDATE: The woman whose unit caught fire has just returned home to an upsetting shock. Forgot to mention, in relation to the earlier mention that residents thought they heard an explosion, they told Christopher the building does NOT have natural-gas service.
(first photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli; second photo by co-publisher Patrick Sand)
No one hurt and mostly smoke damage, according to the team member who’s just arrived on scene (“ton of firetrucks” according to one of the e-mail tips we received, as you can also see from the 911 log; thanks to everyone who e-mailed and texted!). Here’s a map; details to come. 1:52 PM UPDATE: Here’s what the incident commander told us at the scene: Mostly smoke damage; nobody hurt; cause unknown; investigators arriving now. There was some concern among neighbors that a dog might have been injured in the fire; incident commander says the residents’ two dogs might have breathed in a little smoke but are OK. ADDED 2:40 PM: Another photo from Christopher:
We’ve got someone on the scene to find out more – he reports “smell of smoke in the air” and traffic blocked off at 16th/Henderson (map) – on approach to the scene of a “fire in building” call at 9027 16th SW, an apartment building. More shortly. 5:28 PM UPDATE: 16th is closed between Henderson and Barton till the fire units all clear out – but that may not be too long; firefighters at the scene tell WSB “contents of a room” caught fire, and we’re seeing some units already pulling back. No injuries reported.
“Fire in single-family residence” callout in the 3800 block of Delridge (map) – right by The Bridge – WSB team member en route to check it out. 2:51 PM UPDATE: Small fire, “handled before (fire crews arrived),” according to firefighters on the scene, who are already packing up to pull out (they later told us it involved transients and smoking – the house is apparently vacant).
I talked with the contractor who is handling fire restoration, and he estimates that we will be re-opened in 1 1/2 – 2 months. Thank you all once again for your support, I don’t think that I would have even tried to rebuild if not for the
outpouring of support and love from the community.
Listed on 911 log as “fire in single-family residence”; just heard scanner traffic describing it as “exterior house fire.” Thanks to Todd for the tip. Off to check it out. Map here.8:58 PM UPDATE: Our person at the scene says it’s no big deal; the fire crews “didn’t even break out the hoses.” However, traffic’s being rerouted – for now, anyway – at 16th/Barton.
Just checked out the “fire in single-family residence” call in the 8800 block of 14th SW — a woodstove that got going a little too well, according to what firefighters told us — water took care of it.
That photo and video clip show the house at 5645 21st SW (map) where flames did significant interior damage within the past hour. Firefighters tell WSB the house was a “vacant rental”; nobody was inside, nobody hurt, they don’t know yet how the fire started — damage was particularly heavy in the living room, and firefighters had to “ventilate” the roof. Investigators are just getting to work on looking for the cause.
When that 
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