Photo by John Odegard Seattle — At 3:50 a.m., the Seattle Fire Department’s Fire Alarm Center received 911 calls reporting smoke coming from a vacant four-story apartment building in the 900 block of NE. 63rd St. in the Ravenna neighborhood. As firefighters arrived on scene, they found an adult male who reportedly escaped the fire and informed them of more people on the fourth floor. In response, crews worked quickly to raise ladders to the fourth floor to search for occupants.
Firefighters rescued one person by carrying them out the fourth-floor window and down a ladder while two additional people were escorted down the main stairway and out of the building. Additional personnel were dispatched to treat a total of four patients at the scene, including the adult male that our crews first encountered:
- Adult male with minor injuries. He did not require transportation to a hospital and was released on scene.
- Adult female with minor injuries. She did not require transportation to a hospital and was released on scene.
- Approx. 40-year-old male in critical condition. Paramedics transported him to a hospital for further care.
- Crews attempted lifesaving efforts for an adult female but were unsuccessful. She was declared deceased at the scene.
Firefighters searched the entire building to confirm no additional people were inside. By 4:40 a.m. the majority of the fire was knocked down and crews continued to work throughout the morning to extinguish hot spots. As a safety precaution, Puget Sound Energy and Seattle City Light were able to shut off natural gas and electricity to the building respectively.
The incident is under investigation. Notably, there was a previous fire at this apartment building when it was occupied back on May 8, 2024.
Updated June 5: Investigators ruled the cause of the fire as undetermined.