SFD: one dead, three saved from fire in vacant apartment north of Seattle

An apartment fire in North Seattle turned deadly Tuesday when one person was pronounced dead at the scene.

Seattle Fire crews arrived to the 900 block of NE 63rd Street around 4 a.m., finding four people inside. The fire occurred in a vacant apartment building located down the street from a Whole Foods store.

“The fire is under control. Crews remain on site to monitor flare-ups and perform overhaul. The incident is under investigation,” the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) wrote on X just before 5 a.m. “A total of four patients were treated at the scene. Two of them were slightly injured and did not need to be taken to hospital. Two are in critical condition.

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Crews are responding to a fire at a vacant building near Roosevelt Way NE and NE 63rd St. Please avoid the area.

– Seattle Fire Department (@SeattleFire) June 4, 2024

The four people found by the SFD were evacuated from the building. One person succumbed to their injuries and died instantly, while the other three survivors were injured and taken to hospital.

“One person is in critical condition. We made efforts to save the life of this adult female, but this person was pronounced deceased at the scene,” SFD Public Information Officer David Cuerpo told KIRO Newsradio. “The first person we encountered when we arrived at the fire scene was an adult male who was taken to hospital. They are now in critical condition. The two other people who were able to escape the fire suffered minor injuries and were released at the scene.

This building was the scene of a previous fire last month. Cuerpo confirmed that after the May fire, the building was condemned and “considered vacant.”

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“On May 8, there was a significant fire in the third floor unit of this same building, this fire caused the building to become vacant,” Cuerpo said.

There is no information on who died in Tuesday morning's fire, according to KIRO 7.

This is a developing story, check back for updates

Contributor: Sam Campbell, KIRO Newsradio; KIRO 7

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and email him here.