Seattle Firefighters Quick Actions Contain Wall Fire to 2 Units

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Seattle Firefighters contained a stubborn wall fire to just two apartment units in a three-story with basement Capitol Hill complex. Shortly after 4 p.m. on November 4, 2011, firefighters responded to the early 1900's brick building located in the 1100 block of 13th Avenue and found smoke coming from the second floor.

Once inside, firefighters found the fire grew from the kitchen of a second floor unit to the unit above it. The fire was extending through the insulation in the walls to the roof. A ladder company went to the roof to cut holes and provide ventilation, or a path for the smoke and flames.

It took nearly 30 minutes for firefighters to cut through the walls and extinguish the flames. Seattle Fire Investigators determined this was an accidental fire caused when a worker cut through a wall and his saw hit a pipe and sparked. That spark ignited the insulation behind the wall. This older building did not have fire walls built between floors allowing the flames to quickly spread. The building did have sprinklers.

A four-year-old dog was home by itself in the unit below the fire. Firefighters did open the window to allow the dog fresh air to breath. The dog's owners returned home to retrieve their dog. The pet was not injured. Seattle Fire Investigators estimate the building loss at $40,000 and the content loss at $5,000.

No one was injured and occupants of 29 of the units were allowed to return to their homes. Two of the units could not be occupied due to fire damage. The American Red Cross was contacted for those two residents.



Author:Seattle Fire Department Press Release