SEATTLE — Goodies Mediterranean Market has been operating on Lake City Way for 15 years. But owner Jay Hosn said he is concerned with two fires in vacant buildings nearby.
The latest fire occurred Wednesday morning in the 13500 block of Lake City Way NE. When Seattle Fire crews arrived just before 4:50 a.m., they found heavy smoke and flames coming out of a vacant two-story apartment building.
Firefighters attempted to gain access but determined it was not safe to enter the building due to high heat, smoke and unkept conditions of the building.
Seattle police and the Seattle Department of Transportation shut down Lake City Way NE as crews worked to extinguish the fire.
Just after 5 a.m., it was upgraded to a two-alarm fire and additional resources were sent in to protect adjacent buildings.
The fire was under control around 6 a.m.
No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
It’s unclear how long the building was vacant, but Seattle Fire officials said it was vacant for “a number of years.”
It was the second fire in a vacant building in the past few months. In early March, another vacant building in the 14000 block of Lake City Way NE was destroyed. That building was slated for demolition.
Seattle Fire is telling businesses to secure their property. That includes windows, doors and garbage bins – as a safety precaution.
It’s a concern for business owners like Hosn, who says the issue of homelessness needs to be addressed to both help people in need and protect businesses.
“I hope the city and the mayor and Governor Inslee, you know, see this from a bigger angle and do something about it,” Hosn said.