Afternoon brush fire breaks out underneath I-5 in Seattle

SEATTLE — A brush fire started just after noon Saturday with flames brushing up against I-5 in the Sodo area of Seattle. The fire broke out underneath the freeway, a few hundred feet south of the red “R” at The Old Rainier Brewery.

Hoi Le was working across the street when he saw flames climb up a tree.

“I saw flames and got the sheriff [deputy] and told him to call the fire department,” Le said, “Next thing, I turn around and less than a minute, the whole thing caught fire.”

Hoi said he saw the flames up against the interstate. The flames briefly closed two lanes on I-5 until Seattle Fire Fighters got ahold of the fire.

“They were able to get here quickly to ensure that there was minimal impact to traffic on I-5 and also, to make sure no one else was hurt.” said David Cuerpo, a public information officer with Seattle Fire.

Cuerpo says no person was injured, though a cat was rescued from a building that caught fire nearby.

A fire engine was returning to a nearby fire station as the fire started, helping Seattle Fire’s quick response. Gas and electrical lines were shut off as a precaution.

“It was crazy, I was a little worried it was going to get to our building but, they worked really fast,” said Ani Miller, who was working in a building next-door.

It took around an hour for Seattle Fire to put out the fire. With dry grasses and brush on the hillside nearby, the conditions were right for the fire to be worse than it was.

“Even high 70s, when it’s dry out, it can be ideal conditions for a brush fire to quickly extend.” Cuerpo said.

©2024 Cox Media Group