Just after 3 a.m. Monday, flames tore through several U‑Haul trucks at a rental lot in Ballard, sending a plume of smoke over NW Leary Way and jolting nearby residents awake. Seattle Fire Department crews moved in quickly and knocked down the blaze, and authorities say no injuries were reported.
According to KOMO News, SFD was dispatched at 3:04 a.m. to a report of an RV fire along Northwest Leary Way next to the OfficeMax. Firefighters arrived to find multiple U‑Haul trucks burning, with callers telling 911 operators they heard loud "popping" noises that may have been propane tanks exploding. Photographers at the scene captured flames chewing into the passenger and engine compartments while crews worked to douse the vehicles. The cause remains under investigation.
Propane At The Ballard Lot
The U‑Haul of Ballard location at 1119 NW Leary Way lists propane refills and a "propane pay at pump" service, which could help explain reports of exploding cylinders, according to U‑Haul. The lot is tucked east of the Ballard Bridge between OfficeMax and Big 5, and the company notes the site handles frequent truck and customer returns, so propane tanks and rental vehicles are commonly stored there.
Why This Matters To Neighbors
U‑Haul has owned the half‑acre property on NW Leary Way for decades and has floated redevelopment plans for the site, highlighting how the yard is a long‑time fixture of the industrial strip where businesses and pedestrians constantly cross paths, per My Ballard. A fire at the lot can snarl traffic and disrupt nearby businesses along Leary Way, an area where deliveries and pedestrian projects have been getting extra attention.
Investigators remained at the scene as SFD crews "cautiously" worked to fully put out the flames, and the department has not yet said what started the blaze. No injuries have been reported, and questions about the cause are still being reviewed, according to KOMO News.
