Firefighters injured in Central District apartment fire, family escapes unharmed
Two firefighters were injured while fighting an apartment fire in the Central District on Thursday. Investigators determined the likely cause of the fire to be an accidentally overloaded electrical outlet.
Station 6 firefighters had noticed black smoke coming from a neighboring apartment building in the 2600 block of S. Jackson St at around 5:42 p.m., notifying the Fire Alarm Center and requesting them to dispatch a full response.
Five fire engines, three ladder trucks, and additional support units responded to the fire. As firefighters tried to gain access to the apartment unit, three children and their mother escaped the apartment before sheltering inside Station 6 and being looked over by firefighters and paramedics.
According to Seattle Fire, all four family members were in stable condition and declined transportation to a hospital. The American Red Cross was later requested to help the displaced family.
By 5:46 p.m., crews had put water on the fire and began searching the apartment for additional occupants, later confirming the entire building was all clear.
By 6:06 p.m., the fire was extinguished, however, two firefighters had sustained injuries in the blaze and were transported to Harborview Medical Center in stable condition.
Seattle Fire Department added a safety tip to the press release of this incident.
“Avoid plugging in multiple appliances and electronic devices into a single wall outlet. Power strips add more outlets but should only be used for items that require light loads such as computers, printers and clocks, for example. They are not made to handle microwaves, refrigerators, portable heaters or hair dryers.”
