SEATTLE — A fire that ripped through two apartment buildings in Seattle, rendering multiple units uninhabitable, has been deemed arson, according to the Seattle Fire Department.
Seattle police officers were called to the 8800 block of Nesbit Avenue North for a report of a suspicious person. When the officers arrived, they saw a fire between two apartment buildings and called the Seattle Fire Department. Multiple witnesses and the officers attempted to put the fire out, however it quickly spread to both buildings.
Officers evacuated both buildings while SFD worked to extinguish the fire. Damage from the fire impacted three stories of both buildings. Three cars were also damaged.
No one was injured.
Fire investigators determined that the fire was intentionally set. A witness reported they saw as many as five young adults standing around an item on fire before police and the fire department got there.
Meng Yu said she is grateful she made it out alive. Her unit is one of at least three others in these two buildings that are now a complete loss...
She said her neighbor banged on her door, waking her up and warned her about the fire.
"The first thing I do is grab my pet and run downstairs," Yu said.
Vaibhiv Saini lives just a block away and woke up to heavy smoke and flashing lights from emergency crews.
"It's a bit scary and unfortunate, definitely such things should not be happening," Saini said. "It makes me feel unsafe and I'm thinking about why they must've done this. "
The Red Cross is helping at least three households that were displaced. The organization is in the process of tracking down more people that were impacted.