Emergency operators received a call just before 1 p.m. today from a resident who reported seeing a neighbor on fire on her apartment balcony. When firefighters arrived, they broke down the door of the unit and discovered a woman seriously burned, said Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore.
She was rushed to Harborview Medical Center with second-degree burns on 90 percent of her body. The woman, in her 50s, is in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.
Moore said fire investigators believe it’s an accidental fire. They discovered minor damage inside, and believe her clothing may have ignited — most of it had burned in the fire The smoke detector in the unit was disabled, and the fire alarm and sprinklers did not activate, Seattle Fire said.
Seattle Police closed 15th Ave. for about a half hour, diverting heavy traffic down side streets. We’ll keep you updated if we learn more.
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