Tag: Battalion 5 (SE Seattle)

Firefighters Rescue and Revive Cats Trapped in Burning Home

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        March 26—Seattle Firefighter/Paramedics resuscitated two cats that were overcome by smoke in a house fire in Columbia City.

The first call to 911 came in at 7:14 p.m. after a neighbor spotted smoke pouring from the back deck of a home located in the 3200 block of South Hudson Street. When firefighters from Engine Company 28 arrived they found the deck fully-involved with the flames extending into the kitchen of the home. The heavy fire on the back of the house threatened the houses to the east and west of the burning home. Firefighters made an aggressive attack on the fire through the front door and were able to knock down the flames within 15 minutes.

While searching the home for occupants the firefighters found two lifeless cats inside the smoke-filled house. Fire crews rescued the cats. Once outside firefighter/paramedics immediately administered oxygen to the cats and were able to revive both of them. Neighbors with animal carriers took in the cats until the homeowners returned.

There were no other injuries.

Fire investigators ruled the fire as accidental. They determined improperly discarded smoking materials left on a table on the back porch ignited the home. The damage estimate is $150,000 to the structure and $50,000 to the contents. The home was turned back over to the homeowners.

Helicopter crashes near the Space Needle

Photo Courtesy Fire Buff John Odegard

At 7:40 this morning a KOMO TV News helicopter carrying two people crashed onto Broad Street near 5th Avenue igniting three cars.  The pilot and news photographer onboard were killed instantly in the crash.  A 37-year old man who was in the car hit by helicopter debris was transported to Harborview Medical Center with third degree burns.   The occupants in the other two cars were not injured.

Initial 9-1-1 calls reported a large fire ball near a building.  About 15 seconds later, multiple 9-1-1 callers described  a helicopter on the ground and three cars on fire. When firefighters arrived on scene two Seattle Police Officers were assisting the badly burned driver. This allowed firefighters critical  time to  ensure no one else was trapped in the wreckage. Firefighters quickly extinguished the burning vehicles and prevented fuel from entering the storm drains.  The damage due to the helicopter crash was confined to the three cars.

Seattle Fire Department’s heavy rescue response included a technical rescue team with specialized equipment and training for difficult extrications.  Twenty-six fire units responded to the scene with a total of approximately 50 firefighters.

The Seattle Police Department with the assistance of the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will be handling the investigation.

Denver Fire Chief Pays Off Football Wager With Seattle Fire Chief

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         March 14— While wearing Quarterback Russell Wilson’s Seahawk Jersey, Seattle Fire Chief Gregory Dean installed a donated smoke detector at a Beacon Hill resident’s home. The free installation was payoff for a friendly Big Game wager between Denver Fire Chief Eric Tade and Seattle Fire Chief Dean.

In January, the Chiefs of Seattle Fire and Denver Fire agreed to a challenge proposed by Kidde, a leading manufacturer of fire safety products. According to the friendly bet, the chief whose team wins the Superbowl Championship game would receive 250 of Kidde’s Worry-Free smoke alarms, donated by Kidde. Each alarm has a sealed-in lithium battery to offer nonstop power for 10 years without battery changes or low-battery chirping noises. The chief whose team loses the game would receive 100 of the Worry-Free alarms to install in his community – while wearing the jersey of the winning team.

This month, both Chiefs installed the donated alarms in their respective cities wearing Seahawks Jerseys.

Chief Dean and Engine Company 13 installed smoke alarms in the home of Frank Kiuchi. The 68-year-old retiree contacted the Fire Department to take advantage of the free smoke alarm installation program for qualified homeowners. Kiuchi has lived in the Beacon Hill home for 20 year and says his old smoke alarms were worn out. The Seattle Fire Department advises residents to change their smoke alarms every 10 years.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), two-thirds of fire fatalities nationally occur in homes without smoke alarms or without working smoke alarms. The vast majority of non-working smoke alarms are due to missing or dead batteries. Kidde’s sealed-in 10-year battery smoke alarms offer a decade of protection without ever having to replace the battery.

Chief Dean is thankful to Kidde for providing the donated smoke detectors which will help save lives for years to come.

For more information on the Seattle Fire Department Smoke Alarm Program click on this link:

http://www.seattle.gov/fire/pubEd/smokealarms/smokeAlarms.htm