Power restored to Chinatown-International District residents after fire

1:00 p.m. UPDATE

Power has been restored to residents in the Chinatown-International District after a 2-alarm fire destroyed an abandoned industrial building, Seattle City Light reports.

11:25 a.m. UPDATE

The Seattle City Light outage map is currently without power due to a fire in the Chinatown-International District. 5,400 customers are without power east of the fire in Seattle’s Yesler Terrace and Beacon Hill neighborhoods.

ORIGINAL

A large fire is burning in a vacant building in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District Thursday with smoke that can be seen from I-5.

The Seattle Fire Department first tweeted about the flames in the 1000 block of South King Street at 6:45 a.m. Thursday.

More on Seattle fires: Seattle firefighters respond to encampment fire along I-5 in Beacon Hill

The fire looked like it was still growing at 8:45 a.m. The roof has collapsed.

A loud noise was heard and then a burst of smoke came from the building.

CONFIRMED: Seattle Fire tells me the entire roof did collapse, so they’re able to see inside now. Most of the fire is calming down, but still unclear whether anyone was inside.

That will be part of investigation. Firefighters likely to be on the ground here for several hours. https://t.co/MbhF3RO3rL

— Sam Campbell (@HeySamCampbell) July 20, 2023

Firefighters had been battling this fire from outside. They knocked out the windows. They’re dumping water in from hoses from multiple angles.

“I see smoke coming from down here — at first it was just a little bit of smoke coming from the right side of the building,” Ruben, one of the area residents who called 911, said. “And then I walked down here closer right across the street and I see the orange glow through the glass.”

At mid-morning, there were dozens of firefighters, probably a dozen fire trucks, and water was actually flowing down King Street mixed with the firefighting foam.

COSTLY: Just moments ago a worker at a nearby Chinese restaurant was shouting how frustrated he is as he says this fire cost his business $1,500.

He told people the buyer for a big catering order cancelled due to heavy traffic + fire response.

Video by neighbor Keoke Silvano pic.twitter.com/omBP24KzPg

— Sam Campbell (@HeySamCampbell) July 20, 2023

The fire blocked traffic in the area.

“I came back and saw the road cut off at King and then I saw the water coming down and then the smoke,” Kinesia Draper, who lives nearby, said.

A member of Seattle Fire said, “Firefighters are outside the building because it’s not safe for them to go inside right now. It’s an exposed roof truss, which means high heat can help melt that area causing it to collapse. The fire has broken through the roof. And so we are now in a defensive position for water on the fire from a safe distance away from the building.”

One of those positions that they were in was actually on the rooftop of a nearby building.

They said that they were afraid that the fire could spread and they are trying to ensure that doesn’t happen.

So far, no flames have reached that building to the south.

Smoke is clouding the entire east side of the freeway. And there are dozens of curious people who live and work nearby that are standing on the sidewalk watching the fire.

The building is an industrial type of structure.

Multiple people who live nearby this abandoned building said they regularly see people going in and out and on the steps.

Some think that there are a number of people who sleep in the building.

Seattle Fire is not sure there was anyone inside the building when it happened. When officials arrived, the fire was already advanced enough and intense enough that they could not go inside safely.

There are no reports of injuries.

Firefighters said people who work and live in the area should keep their windows and doors shut due to smoke.

Crews are responding to reports of a fire in a vacant building at the 1000 block of S King St. Please avoid the area.

— Seattle Fire Dept. (@SeattleFire) July 20, 2023

Follow @https://twitter.com/HeySamCampbell