Seattle Responder — August 2023 Edition

City of Seattle, Washington sent this bulletin at 08/01/2023 06:12 PM PDT
City of Seattle Fire Department

A message from the Fire Chief

Scoggins2019_withcap

We have made it to the midpoint of summer, and it has been a beautiful one so far. Temperatures have stayed in a more moderate range than recent summers where we were setting record highs. That said, a warm, dry summer brings a heightened risk of brush fires and personal injury from outdoor activities we enjoy. Seattle Fire has a vested interest in your safety! Follow us on social media to lean how you can protect yourself, your family and your home. We are on Twitter/X @SeattleFire; Facebook @SeattleFire and Instagram @Seattle_Fire. You can read our blog, fireline.seattle.gov, to learn about significant incidents, fire safety tips and upcoming events.

You may notice a new responding unit on the streets: Health 99 launched in early July. The team staffing this unit is part of our Mobile Integrated Health program and follows our Health One model. This pair of a civilian caseworker and a uniformed firefighter will dispatch along with frontline responders to assist with patients experiencing an overdose. Once stable, the caseworker and firefighter will spend additional time on scene to connect the patient with treatment and supportive resources. This pilot aims to see if early intervention can disrupt the overdose cycle and put people on the path towards recovery.

As always, it is an honor to serve the City of Seattle and all who live, work and recreate here.

Yours in safety,

Harold D. Scoggins, Fire Chief

Seattle Fire Department

Resilience isn't a single skill. It's a variety of skills and coping mechanisms. To bounce back from bumps in the road as well as failures, you should focus on emphasizing the positive." - Jean Chatzky

Significant incidents

Residential fire at 12500 block of 26th Ave. NE.

July 1: Residential fire at 12500 block of 26th Ave. NE.

At 11:20 p.m., the Fire Alarm Center received calls reporting a townhome on fire in the Olympic Hills neighborhood. Firefighters encountered a fire on a second-floor balcony that extended into the townhome. Crews confirmed the units were empty before pouring water on the fire. The fire was fully extinguished by 12:38 a.m. with no injuries were reported. On July 3, investigators ruled the fire was accidental and likely caused by fireworks.
2-alarm vacant building fire at 1000 block of 9th Ave.

Photo by @Alabhya_Spurs on Twitter

July 12: 2-alarm vacant building fire at
1000 block of 9th Ave.

At 10:07 p.m., 911 calls came in reporting smoke and flames coming from the top floor of a four-story vacant apartment building. Firefighters arrived on scene, entered the building and rescued a man found on the top floor of the building. Soon after, firefighters were ordered to evacuate due to concerns of a structural collapse and the incident was upgraded to a second alarm. The fire was extinguished the next morning. 
2-alarm vacant building fire at  1000 block of S. King St.

July 20: 2-alarm vacant building fire at 
1000 block of S. King St.

At 6:36 a.m., the Fire Alarm Center received calls reporting heavy smoke coming from a boarded-up vacant warehouse on the Chinatown-International District. Firefighters arrived on scene and confirmed smoke and flames had breached the roof. Crews poured water on the fire at a safe distance, and soon after, the incident was upgraded to a 2-alarm response. At 9:15 a.m., the fire was declared under control.

Vacant building fire at  5500 block of University Way NE

Photo by John Odegard

July 24: Vacant building fire at 
5500 block of University Way NE

At 11:49 a.m., firefighters responded to a fire in the University District. The first units on scene reported heavy smoke coming from the back of the home and requested additional resources. They worked quickly to get water on the fire and search the home. Fortunately, no one was found, and no injuries were reported. The fire was extinguished by 12:14 p.m. Investigators ruled the cause of the fire as undetermined.

Seattle Fire in the community

Seattle Fire launches new Health 99 unit

Seattle Fire launches new Health 99 unit

Seattle Fire launched the post overdose response team on July 11. The team is part of the Mobile Integrated Health program and operates 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday-Thursday.

The team of a civilian caseworker and a uniformed firefighter/EMT will dispatch to overdose calls to work with the patient once they are stable and alert. Their goal is to spend more time with the patient and get them into services and treatment. Frontline firefighter/EMTs and paramedics will continue to be dispatched to overdoses to provide emergency medical care.

This pilot program focuses on Pioneer Square, the Chinatown-International District, Belltown, the downtown business district and Capitol Hill, but the team has discretion to respond elsewhere in the city. 

In its first few weeks, the team has averaged three to five incidents per 10-hour shift. For now, the team is splitting time between overdose responses and follow-up contacts.

Seattle Fire events

Fire Safety Fair on Sept. 9 

Station 13 Fire Safety Fair City of Seattle Fire Department

Southeast Seattle and Beacon Hill neighbors, please join us for a FREE family-friendly event for all ages at Fire Station 13 (3601 Beacon Ave S.).

  • Learn about fire prevention & life-safety at home
  • Meet local firefighters
  • Explore a working fire engine and fire station
  • Watch CPR demonstrations
  • Get creative at the arts & crafts table and more!

For disability accommodations or accessibility info contact 206-291-7681 or fireinfo@seattle.gov

Keeping you safe

Safety message: Brush and bark fires

In July, the Seattle Fire Department has responded to over 200 bark and brush-related fires throughout the city. With some of our warmest weeks of the summer likely yet to come, we urge the community to do what they can to prevent brush fires in and around your residences.

How to prevent brush and other dry weather-related fires around your home:

Remove dead plants or bushes as soon as possible and clear roof and gutters of pine needles and leaves.

Remove flammable wood piles, propane tanks away from homes and garage structures.

Remove long grass, weeds or anything that can burn from around homes.

For homes adjacent to large areas of greenbelt, consider defensible space between home and landscaping. This includes limbs that touch buildings or hang near the roof.

Homes built on slopes should mitigate dead dry vegetation below and around structure.

Either keep lawn hydrated or cut it short if it’s brown.

How to prevent brush fires across the city:

Do not light fireworks – besides being illegal, they cause serious injuries and fires.

Dispose of smoking materials in proper receptacles and douse in water, not in planters, beauty bark or out of your vehicle window.

Be sure chains and other metal parts are not dragging from your vehicle as they can throw sparks. Check your tire pressure – driving on an exposed wheel rim can cause sparks.

Be careful driving through or parking on dry grass as hot exhaust pipes can lead to fires.

You can visit fireline.seattle.gov to read more yard fire safety tips. 

Fire Line Blog

Seattle Fire uses its Fire Line Blog to share information about significant incidents, share safety information and learn about upcoming department events. Please take a look!