A structure fire tore through a home near Seattle's Matthews Beach neighborhood before dawn Thursday, injuring nine firefighters after an exterior deck partially collapsed during the response. A 57-year-old male resident was also treated at the scene and taken to the hospital in stable condition.
The Seattle Fire Department's Real-Time 911 dispatch system logged the initial emergency call for the fire at 12001 Sand Point Way NE at 2:41 a.m., according to Seattle Fire's Real-Time 911 log. KOMO News identified the structure as a single-family home. Crews treated the 57-year-old man at the scene, and paramedics transported him to Harborview Medical Center.
During the firefight, an exterior deck partially collapsed, contributing to minor injuries among nine firefighters, according to KIRO 7. Three of those injured firefighters were taken to Harborview for further evaluation. Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Kaila Lafferty said the firefighters' injuries were minor, per KOMO's reporting, and a fire department rig also ended up in a ditch during the response, the outlet noted.
Regional Trauma Center Handled the Injured
The 57-year-old resident was transported to Harborview Medical Center, and three injured firefighters were taken there for evaluation. Harborview Medical Center serves as the sole Level I adult and pediatric trauma and burn center for Washington, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho, according to UW Medicine. That regional designation underscores the severity that can come with structural collapses during active firefighting, even when injuries are ultimately described as minor.
The response also disrupted travel along one of North Seattle's major arterials. The Seattle Department of Transportation reopened Sand Point Way NE at NE 120th St to vehicle traffic around 5 a.m. Thursday, the same KIRO 7 report noted. The corridor had previously undergone infrastructure safety upgrades completed by the Seattle Department of Transportation in late 2022, including lower speed limits and new pedestrian signals, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation's blog.
Regional Fire Conditions
A King County Stage 2 Burn Ban took effect Aug. 7, 2026, amid hot, dry weather and fire danger, according to Seattle Fire's fireline blog.
The cause of Thursday's fire and the precise classification of the damaged building remain under investigation.
Not the Region's First Collapse-Related Injuries
Structural collapse hazards during active firefighting have surfaced elsewhere in the Puget Sound area recently. A two-alarm fire in Bellevue injured firefighters. Thursday's deck collapse near Matthews Beach adds to that pattern of fireground hazards facing crews across the region this year.
