A wind-driven fire heavily damaged a two-story house in Seattle’s Leschi neighborhood Friday night, prompting evacuations and a three-alarm response, according to the Seattle Fire Department.
Firefighters responded at 7:38 p.m. after multiple 911 calls reported flames on the back deck of a home in the 500 block of 34th Avenue.
The first crews on scene saw large flames at the rear of the house that had spread into the first floor and a carport on the south side of the building.
With fire growing quickly, crews requested additional resources.
A battalion chief soon took command and reported that strong winds were pushing the fire across both floors, with flames visible from all sides of the home.
Power lines fell on the north side of the structure, blocking access for firefighters.
Because of the conditions, incident command upgraded the response to three alarms and shifted to a defensive strategy, directing crews to fight the fire from a safe distance while focusing on protecting nearby homes.
Residents inside the home evacuated safely before firefighters arrived.
As a precaution, neighboring homes were also evacuated while crews worked to contain the blaze.
By about 8:10 p.m., firefighters reported flames breaking through the roof.
About five minutes later, parts of the structure collapsed, signaling that the building was no longer safe to enter.
A ladder truck was positioned in front of the home to deliver water from above, helping knock down flames and stop the fire from spreading further into the neighborhood.
Firefighters were able to limit damage to nearby houses, though some adjacent homes were affected by heat and flames.
The fire was declared under control at 8:58 p.m.
A fire unit remained on scene overnight to watch for any flare-ups.
Two residents from the primary home were displaced.
Neighbors who were evacuated were later allowed to return.
Seattle City Light shut off electricity to the block as a safety measure and worked overnight to restore power.
No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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