The flames were already shooting through the roof when neighbors on 34th Avenue realized the two-story house at the end of the block was beyond saving.
Friday evening at 7:38 p.m., multiple people called 911 reporting fire on the back deck of a home in the 500 block of 34th Avenue in Seattle’s Leschi neighborhood. By the time Engine 6 arrived minutes later, those deck flames had already spread into the first floor and a carport on the south side of the house.
The crew took one look and immediately called for a second alarm, bringing more engines and firefighters from across the city.
Then things got worse.
Power lines on the north side of the burning building came down, creating electrocution hazards that prevented firefighters from getting close enough to mount an aggressive interior attack. Fire commanders escalated to a third alarm, summoning even more resources.
More than 60 firefighters ultimately responded, but they could only watch as the house burned from a safe distance, focusing their efforts on keeping the fire from spreading to neighboring homes.
Residents on both sides were evacuated as a precaution while firefighters sprayed water from the street, keeping adjacent structures wet and cool despite the intense heat radiating from the blaze.
By 8:10 p.m., flames had breached the roof and were shooting into the December night sky, visible from across the neighborhood and out over Lake Washington. Five minutes later, part of the structure collapsed with a crash that neighbors would later describe as sounding like an explosion.
After that collapse, there was no question of sending anyone inside. The building was too unstable, too dangerous. Firefighters continued their defensive operation, pouring water on the wreckage and the homes on either side.
By 8:58 p.m., roughly 80 minutes after the first 911 calls, fire commanders declared the blaze under control. The response was gradually scaled back as crews ensured no hidden hot spots remained that could reignite.
One fire unit stayed on scene overnight, monitoring the smoking debris for any flare-ups.
Two residents were displaced from the destroyed home. The neighbors who had been evacuated were allowed to return once the immediate danger passed, though they came back to find their block without power.
Seattle City Light had cut electricity to the entire block as a safety measure because of the downed power lines. The utility is working to restore power to homes that weren’t damaged, though the destroyed house’s connection will require extensive work.
The fire department issued an unusual advisory to residents within a two-block radius: their tap water might be discolored.
Firefighters had accessed multiple hydrants to supply the massive water flow needed to fight a three-alarm fire. When hydrants are opened at full capacity, the sudden rush of water through pipes can stir up sediment that’s normally settled at the bottom of water mains.
If your cold tap runs brown or rusty looking, the fire department says to let it run for a few minutes to see if it clears. If it doesn’t clear, let the water sit for a few hours before trying again. The sediment will settle, and the water is safe to drink, just unappetizing.
The important part: don’t use hot water while your cold tap is still discolored. Running discolored water through your water heater fills the tank with sediment-laden water that’s harder to flush out later.
No one was injured in the fire. Not the two displaced residents, not the evacuated neighbors, not the 60-plus firefighters who spent hours battling the blaze in December cold.
The cause remains under investigation, but the back deck origin point suggests several possibilities. A grill left burning. A discarded cigarette. An electrical problem with outdoor lighting. Investigators will sift through the debris looking for clues.
What started on a back deck consumed an entire house in little more than an hour, a reminder of how quickly wood-frame structures can be lost once fire takes hold.
The Leschi neighborhood, perched on the hillside overlooking Lake Washington, watched smoke billow into the sky Friday evening and wondered whose house was burning. By Saturday morning, the answer was clear: a collapsed shell of charred wood and twisted metal in the 500 block of 34th Avenue, surrounded by homes that came within feet of sharing the same fate.
