Flaming Seattle man saved by police after catching on fire in alley

Seattle police responded to a call about a man on fire just after 3 a.m. Monday in an alley near Northeast 45th Street and Brooklyn Avenue Northeast.

Officers arrived within five minutes and found the man engulfed in flames, running down the alley.

“They yelled for him to stop, asked for him to stop, drop and roll. He continued running, and officers ran toward him with a fire extinguisher, and they put him out,” said Seattle Police Detective Eric Munoz.

Seattle man saved after accidentally catching fire in alley

The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center in serious condition. He has second-degree burns over a large portion of his body.

Investigators later determined the man had accidentally set himself on fire.

“Officers collected video footage nearby, and they found that the man fell asleep near a makeshift fire which, unfortunately, rapidly spread to his clothing and engulfed him in flames,” Detective Munoz said.

First responders said the man would likely have died if not for the quick actions of the Seattle police officers, who arrived promptly and used a fire extinguisher to save his life.

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