SEATTLE — A three-alarm fire destroyed a condominium under construction and then jumped to townhomes next door.
The fast-moving fire spread quickly through a construction site in Ballard Sunday morning. The fire broke out just before 6:30 a.m. on Northwest 54th Street at 11th Avenue Northwest.
More than 100 Seattle firefighters struggled to contain the flames as they leaped to nearby buildings.
At least two other buildings were damaged, too. One of those buildings is a unit of townhomes that were occupied.
Now some 12 hours after the fire call came out, Seattle firefighters are still putting water on this fire, to make sure it is fully out.
It was a devastating sight, flames engulfing a condominium building still under construction, threatening to spread to the structures nearby in this densely populated Ballard neighborhood.
“We came outside and saw it really engulfed in flames,” said Elena Denny. “Really tall flames.”
That is the sad image Denny awoke to just after 6:30 Sunday morning. She immediately began recording on her cell phone what she was seeing.
“Really scary,” she said. “And then we saw it jump over to the occupied building.”
That building contained townhomes just to the east of the burning construction site. By then, Seattle firefighters had pulled a second, followed quickly by a third alarm.
“We had more than a hundred firefighters respond,” said David Cuerpo, spokesman for Seattle Fire.
This spokesman says firefighters poured water onto the fire and evacuated the townhomes.
“There’s also a second building under construction west of the primary,” Cuerpo said. “Our firefighters were able to prevent spreading to that one.”
The fire was so hot, that the Aegis Assisted Living building in back on Northwest Market Street sustained minor damage, too.
A 25-year-old woman suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
“Just having so many memories there with my family,” said Vasyl Milnick. “Breaks my heart.”
Milnick’s family sold the property to developers last year.
“It’s just heartbreaking that this happens,” he said.
KIRO 7 met a man who said he was trying desperately to contact friends who live in one of the townhomes. They were spending the weekend in Canada.
The fire marshal may begin investigating on Monday.
So, we may find out the cause later in the week.
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