Some facing Thanksgiving out of their homes after fire breaks out at Renton senior living complex

RENTON, Wash. — Some people are now dealing with losing their homes a day before Thanksgiving after a fire broke out in a three-story senior living apartment complex in Renton early Wednesday.

Crews from Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority were called to the Solstice Senior Living apartments near the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Monroe Avenue at 1:30 a.m.

Firefighters arrived to find flames coming from a third-floor apartment. It took crews about 45 minutes to put out the fire.

Waldo Larson, who has lived in the complex for more than a year, evacuated from his unit and called 911.

“We heard a loud noise, didn’t know what it was. I called 911 and said I heard a loud noise and didn’t know what it was, they asked me if I had seen any fire or smoke and I told them no,” said Larson.

Larson says responders called him back after he got off the line with them.

“I got a call later and they said there was a fire and to evacuate,” he said.

Larson did not seem fazed that his unit was close to where the fire burned.

“I was at the very top corner. We have the two rooms that go right out on that.”

PSRFA spokesperson Pat Pawlak said 911 was not the only thing that alerted them to the emergency situation.

“It’s a three-story senior housing apartment. They had multiple pendant activations from residents,” said Pawlak.

The emergency alert pendants gave firefighters a good idea of how many people were affected.

Pawlak said while the fire was confined to one unit, water damaged many others.

“As the water from the sprinkler system - as it’s going downward soaking through the floors and all that -so it’s affecting those units also,” said Pawlak.

There is also smoke damage.

An estimated 18 units were damaged or destroyed. Officials at the independent living complex say people who were displaced were transferred to other units in the building.

Firefighters from several areas were called in to ensure everyone could get out of their apartments.

No injuries were reported.

Puget Sound Fire said the cause of the fire was electrical.

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