Hours-long Beacon Hill apartment fire injures 3 after crews receive wrong address

A Beacon Hill apartment building fire injured two women, a firefighter, and killed two cats on Sunday afternoon after fire crews were notified of a fire in the wrong neighborhood.

At 11:58 a.m., the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) received a report of a fire in an apartment building in the 1700 block of 13th Avenue in Capitol Hill, SFD announced.

Minutes later, SFD arrived at the scene and reported no fire or visible smoke in the area. At 12:03 p.m., another call reported the fire was in the 1700 block of 13th Avenue S. in Beacon Hill.

Dispatch informed responding crews of the corrected address, and they arrived at the scene at 12:08 p.m.

SFD reported a working fire in progress with heavy smoke coming from the building. At 12:10 p.m., the fire was upgraded to a 2-alarm response.

Firefighters quickly worked to put water on the fire, which had extended to multiple floors and units.

Seattle Fire issues alert for Beacon Hill apartment fire

At approximately 12:30 p.m., SFD issued an Alert Seattle message for the half-mile radius surrounding the fire. The alert advised nearby residents to close their windows and doors to avoid the smoke.

By 12:46 p.m., the fire on the second and third floors was contained, and the fire was completely extinguished at 2:16 p.m.

Fire crews treated an 87-year-old woman who was in stable condition, and paramedics later transported her to Harborview Medical Center (HMC).

A 48-year-old female was also evaluated at the scene but did not require transportation to a hospital. A SFD firefighter was also injured in the fire and ultimately transported to HMC in stable condition.

Two cats belonging to a resident of the apartment building were killed in the fire.

“Both of my cats are dead because the fire department took so long to show up,” Kristen Adamson told KOMO News.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

SFD highlights common issues during a fire

As crews arrived on the scene, firefighters noticed the front door of a unit was open. SFD noted that closing a door during a fire will limit the amount of oxygen to a fire, which slows the spread and potentially limits damage.

“Please close the doors when evacuating a burning structure, if you can do so safely,” SFD stated. “Once you get to a safe place, call 911 to report the fire.”

Regarding the incorrect address that SFD initially received, the department highlighted the importance of receiving accurate information on each incident.

Dispatchers will ask for the specific address of each incident and confirm the location before leaving the call.

“In order for firefighters to respond as quickly as possible, it is important to know the accurate location of the incident,” SFD stated. “If you are unsure, look for the closest cross streets to help crews respond to the correct block address.”

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