SEATTLE — Several people were rescued from an apartment fire in Rainier Valley early Wednesday morning, according to the Seattle Fire Department.
Fire crews responded to the fire at a “low rise apartment building” on the 4800 block of S Henderson St around 3:30 a.m. Seattle Fire said flames were seen from the second and third floors when crews arrived.
The department said three residents were brought down to safety by ground ladders because the hallways were too smokey for them to exit the building.
Crews said a man jumped from a balcony on second floor of the building to escape the fire. The man was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
The entire apartment was evacuated as crews worked to put the fire out. A Metro bus was requested to help keep the displaced residents warm.
Three units in the apartment complex are uninhabitable due to damage, according to Seattle Fire. The fire caused an estimated $130,000 in damage.
Seattle Fire said the two-alarm fire was ruled accidental, but the exact cause is still under investigation.
The fire was knocked down and under control by 4:15 a.m. Fire officials said about eight fire trucks, four ladder trucks and several command and support vehicles responded to the scene. The Red Cross also responded to the scene.
The Seattle Department of Transportation tweeted around 3:45 a.m. that all east and westbound lanes of S Henderson St between 48th Ave S & 50th Ave S were blocked. The roadway reopened by 5:30 a.m.
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