2-Alarm vacant commercial building fire in the Eastlake neighborhood

Seattle - At 12:53 a.m., the Seattle Fire Department's Fire Alarm Center received 911 calls reporting smoke and flames coming from a vacant commercial building in the 2900 block of Eastlake Ave. E. in the Eastlake neighborhood. The first firefighters on scene reported flames through the roof of the building and upgraded the response to a 2-alarm fire where more than 70 personnel were dispatched to the scene.

Flames through the roof and heavy smoke pouring out of the vacant building created unsafe conditions for crews to enter the building. They immediately went into a defensive position by pouring water onto the fire at a safe distance away from the structure. By 2 a.m., the roof began to collapse causing more smoke to pour out of the building. An Alert Seattle message was sent to nearby residents to encourage them to keep their windows and doors closed due to smoke.

Firefighters knocked down the majority of the exterior portion of the fire and continue to work through the morning to fully extinguish it. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.