A 93-year-old woman died Friday morning after a fire that started on a backyard deck and tore through a home in Seattle's View Ridge neighborhood, according to officials. When crews arrived, flames were racing from the deck into the first and second floors and down into the basement as thick smoke poured through the house.
Seattle Fire crews were dispatched just after 7:15 a.m. to the 7300 block of 53rd Avenue NE, and a 911 caller reported that a second person also lived in the home, according to KOMO. A Seattle Fire Department spokesperson said heavy smoke and large amounts of furniture and debris inside forced firefighters to pull back from an interior search and switch to a defensive attack from the outside after they were unable to make a rescue.
"It was impossible to tell whether fireworks were responsible," a Seattle Fire Department spokesperson told KOMO, noting that clutter inside the home complicated early investigative work. The spokesperson later confirmed that one person was dead. The medical examiner and Seattle Police responded to the scene, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Fireworks, Decks And Seattle Rules
Consumer fireworks are banned within Seattle city limits, and public fireworks shows are allowed only with special permits, according to the Seattle Fire Department. The department's Fireline blog has been sounding the alarm for weeks, warning that illegal fireworks routinely ignite yard and deck fires and urging residents to report unlawful fireworks to the city's nonemergency line instead of 911 so authorities can track patterns and keep emergency lines clear.
What Investigators Will Be Looking At
Fire investigators typically start at the apparent point of origin on a deck, examining nearby debris and burn patterns for possible ignition sources. They also look for physical evidence that might show whether consumer pyrotechnics played any role. Neighbors told reporters they saw a large emergency response at the View Ridge home, but city agencies have not released further details while the investigation continues.
The Seattle Fire Department and Seattle Police have not provided a timeline for releasing their findings and say investigators are still processing the property. Officials are asking anyone with photos, video or information related to the incident to contact Seattle Police through the department's nonemergency tip line.
