Residents in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood were evacuated and a woman sustained injuries due to a significant fire at a construction site early Sunday morning. The Seattle Fire Department received reports of the blaze around 6:20 a.m., with witnesses observing flames erupting from the roof of a building located on Northwest 54th Street, opposite Gilman Playground.
Upon arrival, firefighters encountered flames raging through all three levels of the structure. They promptly evacuated nearby townhomes, ensuring that no serious injuries occurred. Fire crews remained on-site throughout Friday, working to extinguish hotspots and flare-ups. The evacuation of surrounding townhomes was a key measure taken to safeguard the community, and the firefighters’ efforts in extinguishing the fire helped prevent it from spreading even further.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Initially classified as a two-alarm fire, the situation escalated, prompting officials to upgrade the response to a three-alarm fire due to the intensity of the flames. The fire eventually spread to an adjacent townhome complex containing eight units.
The fire at the Ballard construction site has drawn significant attention due to its intensity and the rapid response from local fire crews. The construction building involved in the fire has entirely collapsed, with only the exterior walls still standing, as the blaze consumed floors from the third down to the first.
Investigators will likely look into various factors, including construction materials, potential electrical issues, or other causes that could have contributed to the fire’s outbreak. The construction site, which was presumably still in development, has suffered substantial damage, raising concerns about the impact on local housing and the timeline for future construction efforts.
