Fires

Historically fires have been one the worst threats to cities. In 1889 a fire burned 60 acres of downtown Seattle. Since then fire safety has radically improved, but urban areas still face a significant fire risk. These include large building fires (especially in tall buildings), urban wildfires, multi-structure fires, electrical vault fires and fires following transportation accidents. Often fire is a serious secondary disaster after earthquakes, landslides and hazardous material spills and other incidents.

Major Incidents

Issues to Note

Seattle has experienced some large and sometimes tragic fires. Improvements to the fire codes and fire suppression have decreased the likelihood of a major fire. Despite the reduced risk, there have been close calls. In 1991 a 98-unit apartment complex burned in Rainier Beach. In 1993, during a period in which a serial arsonist was active, protesters began setting fires after the Rodney King verdict was announced. All available Fire Department resources were exhausted. Had the arsonist decided to set fires, the Deartment would have faced a major crisis.

Fires following earthquakes or civil disorders can be worse than the initial incident. Whole areas of Kobe and Los Angeles were devastated after the earthqauake and riots.

Some areas of the country, especially in the Southwest and California have suffered huge fires along their urban / wildland boundary. Seattle doesn't face the same situation.

The Ozark and Seventh Avenue Hotel fires spurred building code changes some of which had the unintended consequence of causing a reduction in the availability of affordable housing and the neglect of some older buildings. The main reason: the high cost of retrofitting these structures.

On the Web

How to Prepare for Household Fires (pdf). Information from the City of Seattle, King County and Washington State.

U.S. Fire Administration. General information on Fire Safety.

Seattle Fire Department

October 2002: The Legacy of the Ozark Ordinance. Article in Preservation Seattle detailing the effects of code changes following the Ozark Hotel fire.