Updated: The Red Cross has been called in to assist with one person which could include shelter, food, clothing and other immediate needs.
Earlier:Firefighters were called to a fire at an abandoned house just before 7 a.m. today.
Jordan Lee, who lives behind the house at 317 NW 41st Street, tells us he was walking his dog when he smelled burning plastic. He saw light smoke coming from the abandoned house and called 911. He tells us that the house has been boarded up for years. He didn’t see anyone leaving the house, in fact he’s never seen anyone at the house, but assumes squatters were trying to keep warm last night. According to a Tweet by King5unit9, who was on the scene, “There was one man occupying the vacant home. Unfortunately, he had a few cats and only 1 will probably live.” (Thanks Silver for the tip!)
![](https://www.myballard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-My-Ballard-Tile-Ad-Troop-100.png")
No human squatters were mentioned, but Fired requested that Animal Control be notified that there were “several injured animals” at the scene. I wonder if there was some unfortunate gnawing going on?
awww kitties! :(
Jeeze, right accross the street from the terrible fire that claimed 5 last summer.
Thank you, Jordan Lee, for being aware of your surroundings and knowing what to do!
I walked by and saw a guy standing outside with a bunch of his possessions. Two people were there looking around the outside. I saw white fire retardant on the street, I thought it was snow at first until I saw this story.
Cats playing with matches again. Darn cats. Better keep a closer eye on my 3 potential felons today.
How do you get a squatter in a residential neighborhood? I’m all for a social safety net so this kind of thing doesn’t happen, but I’m still surprised that someone can basically break and enter a house daily and none of the neighbors notice?
Squatters are common in vacant homes. Quite often the houses catch fire because they’re burning things to try and stay warm in the cold months. I’m glad no one was hurt, but it was sad watching him trying to reassure his injured cat. The only one that I was told ‘might survive’.
Kudos to the man who started it for returning and sticking around.
We feel really bad for him and his cats!
That house has been the scourge of the block for some years. Neighbors mow the lawn fairly regularly and run off the squatters that are noticed but the owner/property manager cares nothing for the blight this property has put on the block.
We clean up litter all the time & Activ Space tenants send their pets into the yard all the time unleashed to do their bodily functions.
We have known that it was only a matter of time until this happened.
The FD didn’t need to stand around in the numbers that they did nor erect a table to serve coffee & drinks. Ten vehicles was true overkill!
What if a true emergency had happened while they stood around watching each other take turns breaking doors and windows in the front and side when the source of ignition was in the back/basement not accessible to the upstairs?
That was an expensive circus to the taxpayers.
The only difference from June was that five human lives were not lost.
As far as we’re concerned SFD are incompetent & useless.
Have a plan, keep smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, & ladders. Be prepared to lose your home & possessions if not your lives in our neighborhood if you have a fire. Teach your kids & practice regularly!