An early morning fire that broke out in a detached garage and spread to a nearby home in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood is being investigated as suspicious, according to the Seattle Fire Department.
Fire crews responded to the 2300 block of 17th Avenue South at 5:21 a.m. after receiving reports of flames. The fire started in a detached garage with living space under construction and quickly spread to an adjacent two-story house.
Firefighters arrived to find the garage fully engulfed, with flames moving toward the home. They confirmed the house was empty and began working to contain the blaze.
The response was upgraded to a second alarm at 5:30 a.m., bringing roughly 70 to 80 firefighters to the scene. Crews evacuated nearby homes as a precaution and brought the fire under control by 5:39 a.m.
No one was injured in the incident.
Heat from the flames damaged a utility pole, bringing down live power lines and scorching several vehicles parked in an alley. A neighboring shed also sustained damage.
Investigators called the fire suspicious because they found no clear ignition source like faulty wiring or equipment.
The incident comes one day after two confirmed arsons in South Seattle, one at a Columbia City funeral home and the other at a Mount Baker construction site. Fire officials have not determined whether Thursday’s fire is connected to those cases.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information about the earlier arsons.
