Seattle Police, fire crews investigate deadly University District fire
Oct 2, 2013, 4:30 AM | Updated: 10:04 am
A man inside the burning apartment refused to come out so officers started evacuating other units. (Chris Sullivan/KIRO Radio)
(Chris Sullivan/KIRO Radio)
Crews are investigating a bizarre fire in Seattle’s University District Wednesday morning.
It includes a police disturbance, a possible arson and a man either jumping or falling to his death in a high-rise apartment.
Seattle Police were checking out a call on the 9th floor of an apartment building just north of 45th Street on 7th Avenue. They smelled smoke from a unit and had to break-in a barricaded door.
A man inside the burning apartment refused to come out so officers started evacuating other units.
As firefighters arrived, that man went out the window.
“Smoke was pouring out of the 9th floor unit,” Seattle Fire’s Kyle Moore said. “We go inside. While we’re going inside, an individual from the 9th floor jumped or fell from the 9th floor fire unit, landed on the ground below. He’s D.O.A.”
Another man was found barely breathing inside the unit. He’s in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center.
Seattle Fire and SPD’s arson unit are investigating. They’re still not sure what happened.
