9 am: We’ve posted a story on how you can help the businesses impacted by the fire.
7:15 am: Market St. remains closed between 22th and 24th. There’s no estimate when Seattle Fire will be clear of the area. Investigators will be at the fire scene later this morning.
7:45 pm: Firefighters will remain on scene throughout the night to ensure the fire does not reignite.
In a blog post published tonight, Seattle Fire says the first responding units discovered light smoke originating from the attic space of the building, which forced firefighters to take to the roof to fight the fire. While four businesses were a total loss, the fifth, Pho Big Bowl, sustained water and smoke damage, Seattle Fire said.
5:40 pm: Firefighters are still on scene, and Market St. remains closed.
Seattle Public Utilities says that some residents may see discolored water from all the hydrant use. “You may want to wait until it clears before drinking it,” explains SPU in a tweet.”It should clear on its own. Try running the cold water for a few minutes to see if it’s clearing. If the water doesn’t clear, let it sit for 1-2 hours. Then run again.”
Also, the Seattle Times reports this evening that a firewall between the jeweler and pho restaurant saved the adjacent businesses from the wind-driven flames.
3:30 pm: Flames have subsided in the building – the fire is officially under control – but Kristin Tinsley from Seattle Fire says firefighters will be watching for hot spots for several hours.
Five total businesses were destroyed: Kitchen N Things, La Isla, Super Cuts, Pho Big Bowl and Octo Designs Jewelers.
While My Ballard was on scene, crews were working to keep Classic Consignment safe, dousing the buildings from the alleyway and above.
Market Street will continue to be closed between 20th and 24th while crews stay on scene.
Many local businesses have closed due to the smoke, including QFC on 24th. The Ballard Library is also closed.
2:50 pm: Here’s a screenshot from Lauri Miller’s live stream on the My Ballard Facebook group. Lots of smoke blowing to the north…
And a photo shared by Seattle Fire…
2 pm: The fire is still in full force, driven by the wind, creating a massive amount of smoke for residents north of Market St. Seattle Fire has about 65 percent of their entire force working to extinguish the blaze, which has so far engulfed five business.
Ballard buses are being rerouted, with Market St. still closed.
Here are some photos from @heysotos on Twitter:
The bulk of the fire looks directly above La Isla. KIRO has live streaming of the blaze here — below is a screenshot taken at 2pm.
1:36 pm: The roof has collapsed, according to Seattle Fire. Market Street is closed and traffic in the area is backing up quickly, so avoid downtown Ballard if you can.
1:22 pm: Seattle Fire says it has shifted to “defensive operations” with ladder trucks providing water from above. Residents are asked to close windows and doors to avoid smoke exposure. KING 5 reports a firefighter was injured while responding, but there’s no word on extent of injuries.
1:05 pm: Firefighters have been pulled off the roof as flames spread, and the response has been elevated to three alarms. Watch live video here.
Earlier updates: Firefighters are battling a stubborn three-alarm fire at 2318 Market St., the building that’s home to Supercuts, La Isla, Kitchen n’ Things and several other businesses.
Market Street is closed as firefighters contend with the blaze. Live video from KIRO 7’s chopper shows firefighters battling the fire from the roof. “Firefighters have cut holes in roof to release toxic gases and smoke,” said Seattle Fire on Twitter with a video that shows flames shooting from the roof along the back alley. Businesses in the building have been evacuated.
While the fire began as light smoke, it has intensified. The large fire response has been upgraded to three alarms with 6 ladder trucks and 13 engines.
The wind is blowing the smoke to the north, and residents as far away as 85th St. report seeing and smelling the smoke.
There are no immediate reports of any injuries.
(Photos from Silver in the My Ballard Group)
Thank you, firefighters.