Crews battle 2-alarm fire near Seattle Center
Jun 9, 2021, 6:10 AM
Crews battle a fire at a building near the Seattle Center on June 8, 2021. (Photo courtesy of Seattle Fire)
(Photo courtesy of Seattle Fire)
The Seattle Fire Department received multiple calls reporting heavy smoke coming from a vacant building near the Seattle Center on Tuesday afternoon.
The building was located on the 500 block of Harrison Street. According to the incident summary on SFD’s Fireline Blog, when crews arrived at the building around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8, bystanders said there may still be a person inside.
Firefighters started attacking the fire and searched the building, but encountered high heat, heavy smoke, and unstable floors. Due to the deteriorating conditions, Seattle Fire says crews had to retreat and take a defensive position outside.
They used thermal imaging cameras and were unable to locate a person inside.
The response was upgraded to a 2-alarm fire, which saw 10 fire engines, five ladder trucks, and more support units dispatched. In total, Seattle Fire reports that 94 fire personnel responded.
Puget Sound Energy secured natural gas and Seattle City Light shut off electricity to the building.
After hours spent pouring water on the fire, the incident commander began demobilizing units around 7 p.m. Two fire engines and a ladder truck remained at 9 p.m. to watch for flare-ups.
As of Wednesday morning, some streets in the area are still blocked.
The incident is currently under investigation.
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