Overview
- A large warehouse near Northwest 42nd Street caught fire during the afternoon commute on Thursday and fire crews quickly upgraded the response to a three‑alarm incident.
- Seattle Fire Department crews evacuated the building and switched to a defensive strategy, meaning they fought the blaze from outside because interior attack was unsafe.
- Thick black smoke from the blaze was visible across north Seattle and from distant points such as Lake Union and Whidbey Island, prompting officials to advise people to avoid the area and to close windows.
- As of the latest reporting the cause remains under investigation and there were no confirmed civilian injuries, though one firefighter was treated for a minor injury on scene.
- The fire destroyed the warehouse structure, disrupted nearby traffic and businesses, and could lead to longer-term local impacts such as air‑quality concerns, road closures and an official damage and cause investigation.