City agency: Camp Long lodge in Seattle was vandalized before fire

One of the primary buildings at the historic Camp Long in the West Seattle neighborhood of Seattle caught fire Monday night, causing an amount of damage that still needs to be determined.

Seattle Parks and Recreation, which runs the Camp Long property, sent a statement to KIRO Newsradio’s Feliks Banel Tuesday stating the building and two cabins were hit by vandals and then caught on fire.

“Last night our beloved and historic Camp Long building, along with two other cabins on site, were vandalized and caught fire,” the statement reads. “We are still actively assessing the situation at Camp Long and currently do not have any information on the future of this facility. We hope to have more information by the end of tomorrow.”

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) are investigating the fire as arson, The Seattle Times reported Monday afternoon.

Preliminary information showed that officials found multiple broken glass windows in the lodge “which could have been a point of entry,” SPD spokesperson Eric Muñoz told the Times.

The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) reported in a thread published on X just after 8 p.m. Monday a fire had been reported at the 5200 block of 35th Avenue SW. Nine minutes later, at 8:17 p.m., the SFD stated the fire was reported on the first floor of the lodge. It also had a second floor and a basement. In its coverage of the fire, the West Seattle Blog confirmed that is the address of Camp Long.

Several minutes later, the SFD explained crews had to move to a “defensive attack” because a hole was found in the floor of the first story of the building.

The fire was out by 9:16 p.m., the West Seattle Blog reported, citing the SFD. That was also when the SFD published its final X post about the fire, saying there were no injuries reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation. Most of the crews who reported to the scene returned to service at that time, but several remained at the scene to monitor.

In a post on Fire Line, the SFD blog, the department reported about 60 firefighters responded to the scene including seven engines, three ladder trucks and Rescue Company 1. In addition, aid units, medics units support staff and command staff were at the site.

While Seattle Parks confirmed the vandalization of the property, the SFD has not yet disclosed the vandalism or revealed the cause of the fire.

“The investigation into the cause and origin of the fire is underway, the SFD blog post reads.

Banel, who was on the scene and provided a report for “Seattle’s Morning News” (“SMN”) Tuesday morning, confirmed the lodge’s structure is damaged.

“You can tell there’s some smoke damage on the outside. Several windows are broken,” Banel said. “It’s unclear how much the structure has been damaged on the interior.”

The West Seattle Blog also has multiple photos and videos of the scene detailing what the SFD had to endure to put the fire out and the aftermath once the fire was put out.

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More about Camp Long in West Seattle

A city of Seattle property near the West Seattle Golf Course, Camp Long is a 68-acre park that has multiple uses. Among them, it “offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy nature” and “learn about natural history,” the city’s website explains.

Going further, Camp Long has multiple structures on the property, including 10 “rustic cabins” and the main hall, which is an “ideal setting for ceremonies, parties and other special events.” The West Seattle Blog noted the lodge is more than 80 years old.

That main hall includes a brick fireplace and a tall ceiling and has a maximum capacity of 72 people.

Banel outlined some of the history of the camp and the area during an appearance on “SMN” Monday:

“Generations of Seattleites know this building it was built in 1941 by the Works Progress Administration,” Banel said. “It’s been a landmark and a fixture here at Camp Long, which is operated by the Seattle Parks Department. I mean, this is a classic example of a public park that served thousands of people starting during the (Great) Depression back in the 1930s.”

Banel went on to provide more historical information about Camp Long and how it came to be.

“(It) was a (Franklin D.) Roosevelt-era (Great) Depression program,” Banel said. “Local jurisdictions like Seattle donated land, and then the federal government paid workers to actually come and construct the buildings. This park was the brainchild of a guy named Clark Sherman. There’s a climbing rock he built … here.”

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The response brought out several people who live near the park who were in shock about what they saw at the site.

“We love Camp Long. We’ve lived here for almost 25 years. We’ve spent a lot of time here with our dog and families and this is just heartbreaking to see this happening today,” Carrie Antezana, who lives near the park, said to KIRO 7.

Contributing: Feliks Banel, KIRO Newsradio

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.