Faulty electronics caused Boylston Hotel fire, displacing 40, sending 5 to hospital
Sep 8, 2015, 5:58 AM | Updated: 12:10 pm
Investigators with the Seattle Fire Department have determined that faulty electrical systems are to blame for the fire at a Capitol Hill hotel that sent five people to the hospital, and displaced 40 others.
There is estimated to be $73,000 in damage to the Boylston Hotel, a long-term stay hotel that was housing approximately 40 people.
A fire alarm sounded at approximately 5:45 p.m. Monday at the Boylston Hotel at Pine Street and Boylston Avenue, KING 5 reports. The fire was sending smoke throughout the building. Many guests were able to exit, but some were trapped by the smoke, causing them to risk jumping from the building.
One woman, Lauren Smith, was able to make a jump from her room to a neighboring roof.
“I took the fan out of the window and jumped out onto the roof,” Smith said.
But Smith’s jump was considerably easier than other guests who were staying on higher floors. She notes another woman tried to avoid jumping as long as she could. But the smoke was eventually too much to handle.
“She didn’t want to jump down, but they stayed up there as long as they could before the smoke was too much so she finally jumped down,” Smith said.
That woman reportedly broke both her legs in the leap. Seattle firefighters rescued her from the neighboring roof.
