Seattle, WA
Officials concerned by surge in abandoned building fires in Seattle
Seattle Fire Dept. concerned by surge in vacant building fires
Alarmed by the growing number of fires at abandoned properties, Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins is supporting a new strong-armed solution that cracks down on private property owners in favor of public safety.
SEATTLE – Alarmed by the growing number of fires at abandoned properties, Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins is supporting a new strong-armed solution that cracks down on private property owners in favor of public safety.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is on board, pushing for emergency legislation that would amend the city’s fire code to order and complete demolition of unsafe buildings.
“We’re still watching the rise in these fires,” said Scoggins to the Seattle City Council Tuesday morning. “Clearly to me that says we need to do something different to solve the problem.”
According to Scoggins, in just the first four months of this year, his crews responded to at least 30 different incidents at vacant buildings across the city. The data collected by Seattle Fire over the past three years highlights what Scoggins calls an escalating hazard. Back in 2021, crews were sent out 70 times to extinguish fires at derelict properties. In 2022, about 20 more. By 2023, the number had jumped to a staggering 130.
The issue isn’t unique to Seattle, as evidenced by a recent fire in Tukwila, where a vacant property became engulfed in flames.
“This is a building that has had previous fires in it,” explained Pat Pawlek with Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority. According to Pawlek, homeless people were scrambling out when crews arrived.
The City of Seattle has highlighted at least 100 blighted properties in desperate need of a tear down.
“[The] last thing that I would want is any of our firefighters or community member to be harmed when we could have taken a very intentional step to solve the problem,” stressed Scoggins.
IT is a regional problem, now with a local fix. The emergency legislation, backed by the mayor, would allow for the demolition of hazardous properties, with the costs passed back to the owners if they fail to comply.
“If we can’t gain compliance, we shouldn’t leave these properties to be open-accessed,” pointed out Scoggins.
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Council has until mid-May to mull the mayor’s proposal over. Both Councilmembers Tammy Morales and Bob Kettle are in support.
From miners, lumberjacks and seamen to the world arriving on our shores this summer, Folio Seattle will host a program Monday night, with two local soccer scribes detailing the region’s collective footy history in “Seattle’s Road to the 2026 World Cup.”
Matt Pentz, a former soccer reporter for The Seattle Times and The Athletic, is teaming with historian Frank MacDonald, executive director for Washington State Legends of Soccer and occasional Sounder at Heart contributor. The program goes from 6-8 PM at the Folio location in Pike Place Market. Donations of any amount are accepted.
Pentz and MacDonald will dive into the state’s century-plus adoration of the game and highlight what’s changed in the last generation, since Seattle failed to land matches for the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Olympians Hilary Knight, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Erin Ambrose have all been placed on long-term injured reserve by their PWHL clubs after sustaining injuries during the Milan Cortina Games.
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Knight, a five-time Olympian and captain of the United States team that won gold, will be out of the lineup for the Seattle Torrent indefinitely after sustaining a lower-body injury in Italy, the team announced Friday.
Knight had three goals and three assists for the U.S. at Milan Cortina including a goal in the 2-1 overtime win over Canada in the final. She has three goals and seven assists during the current PWHL season.
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“While we’re eager to be at full strength and recognize the anticipation of Hilary’s return, we’re focused on putting her and our team in the best position for a playoff push,” Torrent general manager Meghan Turner said in a statement.
Minnesota Frost captain Coyne Schofield was placed on long-term injured reserve on Friday retroactive to Feb. 19 with an upper-body injury. Coyne Schofield scored three goals for the United States during the Olympics.
“I am incredibly proud of all our Frost Olympians who demonstrated true excellence on the world stage,” general manager Melissa Caruso said in a statement. “We are fully committed to supporting Kendall throughout her recovery, and our medical team will be working diligently to help her prepare for her return to the ice.”
The moves by the Torrent and Frost came a day after the Montreal Victoire announced that Ambrose has been placed on long-term injured reserve retroactive to Feb. 19 for a lower‑body injury suffered while representing Canada in the gold medal game. Ambrose had a pair of assists at the Olympics.
The Victoire’s Marie-Philip Poulin, Canada’s captain in Italy, was listed as day-to-day with an Olympics-related injury.
Victoire general manager Daniele Sauvageau said of the team’s Olympians “we are confident that they will be back in the lineup in the near future.”
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SEATTLE — Firefighters are responding to a car that drove into a ditch near Lake Washington Boulevard East and East Foster Island Road on Friday, according to the Seattle Fire Department.
Crews arriving at the scene reported that three people are trapped inside the car.
Firefighters were working to stabilize the car and get everyone out safely. Crews worked to remove the roof of the car to get everyone out, according to fire officials.
Authorities are urging the public to avoid the area while emergency crews respond.
The crash occurred in the area between the Montlake and Broadmoor neighborhoods, and traffic can be expected as emergency crews respond.
No additional information was immediately available.
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