Crews battle 2-alarm fire near Seattle Center

SEATTLE — Dozens of firefighters battled a two-alarm fire on Tuesday afternoon at a vacant building near Seattle Center. The building was still smoldering Wednesday morning.

At about 4 p.m., firefighters responded to a report of a fire in a vacant building in the 500 block of Harrison Street, about a block away from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and across the street from MoPOP, the Museum of Pop Culture.

After crews arrived, they transitioned from a defensive to an offensive position after receiving reports of a person inside.

Seattle fire officials told nearby residents and businesses to close their windows and doors to prevent smoke inhalation.

Fire crews used a thermal imaging camera from outside to try and locate a person from the earlier report. They were unable to locate anyone.

Firefighters could not enter the building because of the heavy smoke and concerns about the building collapsing.

Officials said 10 fire engines, five ladders and more than 70 firefighters helped in controlling the fire.

On Wednesday morning, one fire truck remained at the scene, but when some flames sparked up, another truck arrived.

A thick plume of smoke was seen rising from the building, and a ladder truck was used to dump water on the fire from above. The flare-up was quickly extinguished.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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