Fire in a condominium complex this afternoon damaged two units so severely that the occupants won’t be allowed to reoccupy their homes, Seattle firefighters said.
Emergency crews blocked Meridian Avenue southbound from Northeast 100th Street to Northeast Northgate Way, forcing students at North Seattle College to leave campus on Northeast 92 Street.
At 1:19 p.m. multiple 911 calls came into firefighter/dispatchers at the Fire Alarm Center reporting flames coming from the four-story building, which is located in the 10300 block of Meridian Avenue North.
Engine Company 31 arrived to find flames and smoke coming from a third floor balcony and a fourth floor unit. The first arriving company attacked the fire from the outside while hose lines were brought inside to fight the fire from the interior.
When crews arrived, the building’s fire alarms system was sounding and the sprinkler system was activated. Residents inside self-evacuated from the residential complex. No one was injured.
Both the 3rd floor and 4th floor fire units were searched and no occupants were found in either unit. Firefighters did find a deceased cat in one unit. It took 12 minutes to knock down the flames and nearly an hour to completely extinguish the charred combustibles inside the units.
Firefighters contained the fire to just two condos. Both units suffered extensive fire and smoke damage and residents will not be allowed to reoccupy these units. A third unit, on the second floor, suffered water damage.
Did the find out what caused it?
MLL: “The fire investigators remained on scene and will determine cause and damage estimates.”