(Images: Tim Durkan with permission to CHS)
Seattle Fire struggled to contain a basement fire inside a 10th Ave E house Wednesday night.
The blaze was first reported around 8:15 PM as smoke wafted across Broadway.
Seattle Fire arrived to find flames shooting out of the lower level of the northeast side of the 1904-build building being used as a triplex at 207 10th Ave E behind the Broadway Locksmith. After an initial attempt to knock flames down from the outside of the building, Seattle Fire’s multiple units at the scene reconvened outside after encountering major smoke and flames coming from burning debris in the basement.
The response was still underway and the fire not yet under control as of 8:40 PM. UPDATE 8:51 PM: The fire is reported under control. The Seattle Fire Marshal has been called to the scene to investigate the cause.
Everybody in the building was reported to have exited and there were no major injuries reported according to preliminary reports.
Tuesday night, Seattle Fire responded to a debris fire outside an E Denny house across from Cal Anderson Park. Meanwhile, earlier in the day on Wednesday, Seattle Police had been called to a disturbance involving a combative person at the 10th Ave E address.
UPDATE 9:51 PM: Seattle Fire confirms no reported injuries.
Fire extinguished in the basement of a multi-family home on 10 Ave E and E John St. No injuries. pic.twitter.com/FHrTFfTBM7
— Seattle Fire Dept (@SeattleFire) May 5, 2016
UPDATE 5/5/2016 10:05 AM: Seattle Fire says the investigation to determine a cause of the 10th Ave E fire continues. Seattle Police are not yet investigating the incident.
According to people familiar with the property, the house has had issues with squatters. Officers were called to the address earlier in the day for a request to assist Seattle Fire with a combative female at the house, SPD records show.
Vacant apartments, houses, and small buildings around the neighborhood awaiting demolition for new multifamily developments make for popular squat locations. In January, Seattle Fire fought a basement fire in a building at 12th and John destined for demolition where squatters and drug users had been hanging out. The cause of that fire was determined to be “improperly discarded smoking material.” That charred building remains standing, by the way, and is yet to be demolished. Meanwhile, last month, police investigated a reported armed robbery at an 11th Ave E house being used by squatters. According to the report on that incident, the squatters had made themselves at home, going so far as to store a firearm in one of the house’s closets.
It’s not a new phenomenon. In 2010, the City of Seattle went to court to have the Belmont Ave “biohazard house” demolished. That house had become so contaminated by human waste and drug use that police refused to enter it.
The 10th Ave E house is not currently slated for demolition but firefighters reported finding the basement apartment space of the house crammed with debris as they attempted to fight the blaze.
UPDATE 5/5/2016 1:52 PM: Like the 12th and John fire earlier this year, the 10th and John fire has been ruled an accident caused by improperly discarded smoking materials.
If I ever have someone house sit for me, remind me to specify that he is not to invite squatters to live in the basement. Or anywhere else in the house, for that matter. I would prefer that my house avoid high temperature events like this one.
Was this your place?
Reader Ryan shot this video of the response. He says the action picks up around the 6-minute mark. Thanks for sharing the video!
I’m not surprised bc my house is 1 block away on 11th as well and I walk past all the time. It’s rare that there are not groups of people smoking out front on the porch. Prob someone fell asleep smoking.
Maybe we should use our tax money to open up a safe place for people to improperly discard smoking materials.