Fire crews responded Friday to reports of an underground vault fire near 29th Avenue and East Cherry Street in Seattle’s Central District, triggering a multi-hour power outage affecting thousands of residents.
When firefighters arrived on scene, they discovered smoke emanating from a 3-foot-by-3-foot manhole, according to the Seattle Fire Department. The department’s Energy Response team was summoned to assist, and crews established restricted access perimeters around the area as a safety measure.
Energy response personnel deployed carbon dioxide from their apparatus to suppress the fire within the underground vault.
The vault fire was brought under control with no injuries reported, officials stated.
Firefighters transferred scene management to Seattle City Light and began returning to service shortly afterwards.
Initially, Seattle City Light reported 11,718 customers without electrical power due to the fire. That figure subsequently decreased to 2,735 as of 8:40 p.m.
At approximately 8:47 p.m., Seattle City Light reported 1,408 customers remained without power.
“The cause of this evening’s outage was a cable failure which resulted in a vault fire in the Central District,” Seattle City Light wrote on social media. “Crews have isolated the issue and are working to safely and efficiently restore power. Crews are still working to restore power for around 600 customers following this evening’s outage. They will continue working overnight. Thank you for your patience and we apologise for the inconvenience.”
Underground electrical vault fires present unique challenges for emergency responders compared to typical structure fires. These subterranean spaces contain high-voltage electrical equipment, cable connections, and transformers that supply power to surrounding neighbourhoods, making them both difficult to access and potentially dangerous to approach without proper equipment and coordination with utility personnel.
The smoke emerging from the manhole opening served as the visible indicator of a more extensive problem occurring below street level. Vault fires can smoulder for extended periods whilst generating intense heat and toxic fumes within confined spaces, creating hazardous conditions that require specialised response protocols.
The Seattle Fire Department’s Energy Response team represents a specialised unit trained to handle incidents involving electrical infrastructure, gas lines, and other utility-related emergencies. Their expertise proves crucial in situations where conventional firefighting approaches could prove ineffective or dangerous due to electrical hazards.
The use of carbon dioxide as an extinguishing agent reflects appropriate response methodology for electrical fires. CO2 suppresses flames by displacing oxygen whilst leaving no residue that could damage sensitive electrical equipment, unlike water or foam-based suppressants that could conduct electricity or cause additional equipment damage.
The restricted access perimeter established by firefighters served multiple safety purposes. It prevented civilians from approaching an area with potential ground-level electrical hazards, protected against exposure to toxic smoke, and created workspace for emergency personnel to operate without interference.
The absence of injuries, given the fire’s severity as indicated by the substantial power outage it triggered, reflects successful execution of safety protocols by both fire department personnel and utility workers. Underground vault fires can produce dangerous conditions including explosions from pressurised equipment, toxic gas releases, and electrical hazards.
The sequential reduction in affected customers from 11,718 initially to 2,735 and then 1,408 demonstrates Seattle City Light crews’ methodical approach to power restoration. Utility workers likely restored service to areas supplied by undamaged cables before addressing sections requiring repair or equipment replacement.
The cable failure identified as the outage’s root cause could result from various factors including equipment ageing, insulation degradation, manufacturing defects, overloading, moisture infiltration, or physical damage. Underground electrical infrastructure faces environmental stresses including ground movement, water intrusion, and temperature fluctuations that gradually compromise cable integrity.
Vault fires often originate when failing cables arc or short-circuit, generating intense heat that ignites insulation materials and can spread to other cables within the confined space. The resulting fire can damage multiple cables and equipment, explaining the widespread outage affecting thousands of customers.
The isolation of the issue mentioned in Seattle City Light’s statement refers to electrically disconnecting damaged equipment to prevent further damage whilst allowing power restoration through alternative routing for unaffected areas. Modern electrical distribution systems incorporate redundancy enabling power rerouting around damaged sections.
The overnight work commitment indicated by Seattle City Light reflects the urgency utility companies place on power restoration, particularly for extended outages affecting residential customers. Crews must balance speed with safety, as underground repairs in fire-damaged vaults present ongoing hazards including unstable structures, lingering heat, and compromised equipment.
The approximately 600 customers facing extended outages likely occupy areas served directly by damaged cables requiring replacement or repair before power restoration becomes possible. Such work demands excavation, cable splicing or replacement, equipment testing, and verification of system integrity before re-energisation.
Power outages in urban residential areas create cascading impacts beyond mere inconvenience. Residents lose heating or cooling depending on season, refrigerated food spoils, medical equipment may fail without backup power, and businesses suffer operational disruptions and potential inventory losses.
The Central District location places the outage in a diverse, densely populated neighbourhood where many residents live in apartments or older homes potentially lacking backup power systems. Extended outages disproportionately affect vulnerable populations including elderly residents, people with medical needs, and families with young children.
Seattle City Light’s communication strategy, providing updates via social media as the situation evolved, reflects modern utility practices emphasising transparency and customer information during service disruptions. Real-time updates help affected residents plan accordingly and reduce anxiety about restoration timelines.
The incident underscores ongoing challenges facing urban electrical infrastructure, much of which dates from decades past and faces increasing stress from growing power demands and deferred maintenance. Utilities nationwide grapple with balancing infrastructure investment against rate pressures whilst managing ageing systems approaching or exceeding design lifespans.
