READER REPORT: Two early morning Honey Bucket fires

(Reader photo)

Early today, two portable restrooms were burned in fires less than a mile apart, both around 5 am. We found out about this from Greta, who lives near the one off the alley on the west side of the 3400 block of California (top photo shows the aftermath):

I’m wanting to report this to you primarily to focus on safety. There is construction happening at the home next door to us. The house is vacant and they have a Honey Bucket on site for workers. This is what was set alight. There was no lock on the door. The other fire on 51st and Dakota was also a sanican set alight. Someone is doing this in our neighborhood. Terrifying fact really.

I awoke to the noise of crackling. Then my sniffer caught the smell of the smoke. I immediately got out of bed to look out the adjoining bedroom window and there it was. A fire was burning with an unbelievable pace. The flames were at least 8ft tall. Part of the fence that was behind the Honey Bucket was already gone. Our neighbors truck with the gas tank facing the fire was parked only 2 feet from this! Incredibly it didn’t catch fire, just bubbled the paint and the plastic of the taillights. I woke my husband up immediately and called 911. The fire department was here in under 5 minutes! My husband in a flash was outside trying fast to hook back up the hose. Unfortunately from us leaving it outside there was a hole in it. We used it anyway on the fire. me holding the tightest grip over the hole, while my husband Jeff faced the flames. Very scary for what could have been an awful outcome. We are safe, the neighbors are safe, and my many thanks to our incredible Seattle firefighters. It made me quite emotional after they put the fire out and watching them drive away. Also very thankful that it started to rain. They were incredible and are incredible. I have a huge admiration for them!

So this may want to be posted for future safety in our community. There is a possible arson here. … I think it’s important to lock up these sanicans, so that this sort of thing doesn’t happen. Fires spread fast! I’m so thankful that it wasn’t next to the house!

We went out looking for the 51st/Dakota scene and found this on 51st just north of Dakota:

We have an inquiry out to SFD but haven’t heard back and at this point don’t expect to hear back until tomorrow, so we don’t have any information yet on the investigation. (There is a police report logged for the California alley fire – 24-039339.) We’ll also be asking if there’s any suspicion these are related to two fires one week ago, including one that damaged a vacant house near 36th/Oregon and was determined to have been deliberately set.