A fire at a Ballard home near 30th Ave NW and NW 59th St on Tuesday night caused extensive damage to the residence and destroyed a food production kitchen used by local businesses Vespucci Pizza, Pasteria Lucchese, and La Crespella.
According to a GoFundMe campaign created following the fire, Sara and Sam Lucchese lost their food production kitchen, many personal belongings, and sustained significant damage to their living space in the June 9 fire. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
The Luccheses are longtime Ballard residents and longtime participants in Seattle-area farmers’ markets through their businesses Vespucci Pizza, Pasteria Lucchese, and La Crespella. The couple also owned Strega Pizzeria, which they recently closed to dedicate more time to their other businesses.
In a message shared Wednesday, the Seattle Farmers Market Association said the fire has put the future of the family’s businesses in jeopardy and encouraged community members to support a GoFundMe campaign established to help with recovery efforts.
According to the fundraiser, donations will be used to replace essential equipment, make repairs needed to restore the commercial kitchen, and address damage to the family’s living space.
“As market-goers, we should step up to support them in this time of need. Your support will help them rebuild and continue sharing their incredible food and spirit with the community,” the GoFundMe says.
As of this writing (Wednesday, June 10), the campaign has raised $6,193 of its $13,000 goal.
Seattle Fire Department investigators said the cause was ruled accidental. Investigators determined the fire was likely caused by a container of hot embers that ignited a pile of wood, which then spread to the exterior and then the interior of the residence.
Seattle Fire estimated the loss at $500,000.
Photo by John Odegard