Major fire damages lodge at historic Camp Long in West Seattle

One of the primary buildings at the historic Camp Long in the West Seattle neighborhood of Seattle caught fire Monday night, causing an amount of damage that still needs to be determined.

The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) reported in a thread published on X just after 8 p.m. Monday a fire had been reported at the 5200 block of 35th Avenue SW. Nine minutes later at 8:17 p.m., the SFD stated the fire was reported on the first floor of the lodge. It also had a second floor and a basement. In its coverage of the fire, the West Seattle Blog confirmed that is the address of Camp Long.

Several minutes later, the SFD explained crews had to move to a “defensive attack” because a hole was found in the floor of the first story of the building.

The fire was out by 9:16 p.m., the West Seattle Blog reported, citing the SFD. That was also when the SFD published its final X post about the fire, saying there were no injuries reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation. Most of the crews who reported to the scene returned to service at that time, but several remained at the scene to monitor.

The West Seattle Blog also has multiple photos and videos of the scene detailing what members of the SFD had to endure to put the fire out and the aftermath once the fire was put out.

An SFD spokesperson told KIRO 7 crews were still assessing the damage late Monday night. The Seattle outlet also confirmed the SFD had parts of 35th Avenue Southwest and Dawson Street shut off as crews worked the scene.

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More about Camp Long in West Seattle

A city of Seattle property near the West Seattle Golf Course, Camp Long is a 68-acre park that has multiple uses. Among them, it “offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy nature” and “learn about natural history,” the city’s website explains.

Going further, Camp Long has multiple structures on the property, including 10 “rustic cabins” and the main hall that is an “ideal setting for ceremonies, parties and other special events.” The West Seattle Blog noted the lodge is more than 80 years old.

That main hall includes a brick fireplace and a tall ceiling and has a maximum capacity of 72 people.

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The response brought out several people who live near the park who were in shock about what saw at the site.

“We love Camp Long. We’ve lived here for almost 25 years. We’ve spent a lot of time here with our dog and families and this is just heartbreaking to see this happening today,” Carrie Antezana, who lives near the park, said to KIRO 7.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.