Early morning fire behind Smoke Shop on Ballard Ave

Meghan Walker Ballard

A small fire was discovered this morning behind the Smoke Shop on Ballard Ave NW.

Kristin Tinsley from the Seattle Fire Department says they sent one engine to the scene when the call came in at 6:25am, and at 9:30am, investigators were still on the scene.

Lexi from the Old Ballard Liquor Co. and head chef of the soon-to-open Skål Beer Hall (a couple doors down from the Smoke Shop) alerted My Ballard about the fire, which may have been set intentionally. With several recent arson incidents in the area, and ongoing small fires they’ve found in the alleyway behind Skål, she said it’s pretty nerve wracking.

We’ll update when we learn more.

36 thoughts to “Early morning fire behind Smoke Shop on Ballard Ave”

  1. Well, it’s hobo campfire season so of course we’re seeing the “vibrancy”. Be sure to give a big thanks to elenchos, Andrew Daisuke, Truth, and of course Mike O’Brien and the rest of the city council for all the big improvements in Ballard!

    1. It’s very strange that everytime there’s a fire in Ballard, the Sockpuppet is always immediately and endlessly shitposting.

      Therefore, I pose the theory that the Sockpuppet is intentionally setting these fires and then waiting for the blog post so he can activate his multiple personalities.

      His mental illness and desire to drown out intelligent discourse has reached a dangerous new level.

      Kudos!

      1. Actually, Truth, I’m beginning to wonder about your motives. You show up, insult people and make insinuations without using any facts or arguments – mostly just calling people “Sockpuppet” or “Harley”. Kind of weird. Why don’t you take a walk around Ballard and talk to the people who work in the grocery stores or who own shops in this city?

        You ruined the neighborhood with your tired Boomer social justice guilt tactics, so thanks for that. I suppose it’s all just collateral damage in the “great battle against Trump!” or some other misguided, misdirected liberal nonsense. You’re really “sticking it to the conservatives” now that people can’t walk their grandparents around Ballard without them having to witness appalling, disgusting behavior and hear felons screaming jailbird obscenities at each other.

        Real nice. You’re a real grade A piece of work!

        1. You show up, insult people and make insinuations without using any facts or arguments – mostly just calling people “Sockpuppet” or “Harley”.

          Oh that’s rich. You’re back to the “poor me” mentality are you? Anyone can randomly click on ANY MyBallard article from the past year and see you insulting other commenters, making factless claims and getting extremely triggered when someone refutes your sensationalist bullshit with actual facts and sources.

          Of course, with the loss of real people commenting, the comment section has become a cesspool of your endless circle-jerk shitposts, so you just aren’t used to people calling out your bullshit anymore. You’ll survive.

          Why don’t you take a walk around Ballard and talk to the people who work in the grocery stores or who own shops in this city?

          I do. I regularly chat with both proprietors of restaurants and employees of your infamous QFC. No one claims our neighborhood is perfect, but no one comes close to claiming Ballard is the dystopian nightmare you claim it is. You act like you care about Ballard, yet spend every waking hour posting under your many Sockpuppet personalities about how Ballard is terrible and no one should live there or go there.

          Why don’t YOU walk around Ballard and chat with the business owners and workers? Come on out and actually experience our neighborhood for once instead of regurgitating what you heard some angry guy yelling on the radio! Then you can go back to your endless shitposting.

          You ruined the neighborhood with your tired Boomer social justice guilt tactics, so thanks for that.

          Say what? You and your ilk (I am going to assume you are Harley Lever or associated with his group) are the ones that show up to every neighborhood meeting about homeless solutions or town halls and throw temper tantrums that would make a 2 year old envious. Like you do on the comment section, you attempt to drown out all intelligent discourse so that only your opinion gets heard.

          No, my anonymous, multiple personality friend, you ruined the neighborhood.

          I suppose it’s all just collateral damage in the “great battle against Trump!” or some other misguided, misdirected liberal nonsense. You’re really “sticking it to the conservatives”…

          Oh yes, when all else fails, switch to partisan arguments. If anyone arguing with you pulls out Trump, you cry fowl, but of course it’s perfectly OK for you to do it.

          …now that people can’t walk their grandparents around Ballard without them having to witness appalling, disgusting behavior and hear felons screaming jailbird obscenities at each other.

          That’s also funny. My Oma comes to visit often and we walk around Ballard. She comments on how much nicer Ballard is than “back in the day”, when it was much more blue collar. Sure there’s homeless people, but she’s from the Great Depression, so she chuckles when she hears people complain how bad the homeless situation is. No appalling behavior, felons screaming or whatever falsity you purport happens constantly in Ballard.

          So surprise, surprise, my 92 year old Oma has thicker skin than a neighborhood blog sockpuppet.

          Now get on your VPN and downvote away Señor Sockpuppet, if that is your real name.

          XOXO,
          Truth

          1. Yeah sorry, just post the Cliff Notes next time. I don’t have time for a libtard social justice novel.

            Let me know what happens with that big whale, Melville!
            To quote the Bard “The lady doth protest too much, methinks”.

          2. Yeah sorry, just post the Cliff Notes next time. I don’t have time for a libtard social justice novel.

            Let me know what happens with that big whale, Melville!
            To quote the Bard “The lady doth protest too much, methinks”.

            Case in point. No response, no facts, no sustenance, just insults.

            That’s our sockpuppet! ‾\_(ツ)_/‾

        1. ^ Autism in action from Truth

          Hey, I recognize you as a troll from the Capitol Hill Blog! Trolling one blog just doesn’t cut it for your deflated ego?

  3. Hi, thanks for your support. It’s unfortunate that someone dislikes our fine Swedish friends at the Skal beer hall and the Old Ballard Smoke Shop enough to light fires in an alleyway. However, it’s not our most vulnerable community members! They only light up when it’s time to hit the pipe, or when they need to heat up a smack spoon. They would never willfully attempt to destroy public property! That’s not in the narrative I and the rest of the City Clowncil have written for our poor, vagrant neighbors. Big Hobo tells us they’re just down on their luck, hard working neighbors who need just a little more help, a couple more hugs, and a heading dose of Social Justice. Big Hobo knows all! But if it does turn out to be our most vulnerable community members, I’m sure we’ll just give them a little scolding and nothing else – wouldn’t want to upset them, would we? Shouldn’t jail them for their survival crimes! These people were just experiencing campfire envy! And Remember, Vote Salty, Vote O’Brine 2019!

    2. I hear the Clowncil is pushing for free presto logs and lighters for our vulnerable community members. Never forget, we are just one more tax increase away from getting affordable housing in Seattle and reducing the homeless junkie invasion.

      1. Hi, thanks for your support! We’re so close now! Soon, we’ll have…well, we won’t have done anything. Big Hobo needs your tax dollars…but not for the homeless. If we solve homelessness, where will my kickbacks come from. Big Hobo knows best! And Remember, Vote Salty, Vote O’Brine 2019!

    3. I was officer mustache in Ballard commons the other night. Someone said a junky lady damaged his neighbors property. But he said he couldn’t do anything unless the property owner complained. In his defense he was trying to contact the property owner. Not sure what became of it though.

        2. Hayduke, clearly you are an MIT grad or some sort of 160+ IQ genius. There is no way I can respond to your rapier wit so I won’t even try. We’ll played. You have bested me and my ability to type a response on my phone while on a moving bus. I concede.

  5. Ahh good, nothing like returning from a tour of Western Europe and the East Coast USA to Ballard!
    Our lovable fishing village is now the world’s most expensive meth-y trailer park.
    Thank you, Social Justice Warriors! Nicely done!

  6. Dig if you will the picture
    Of Ballard’s alleys covered in flames
    The smell of rank hobo permeates
    Can you taxpayer, can you picture this
    Dream if you will the Commons
    And oceans of tents in full view
    Junkies using sidewalks as toilets
    They’re just one hug, one hug away
    From being you
    How can you just leave that RV
    Parked there without paying a fine
    Maybe they need social justice
    Maybe they’re just like your neighbor (doubt so)
    Maybe they’re priced out of their house
    Never been criminals (never been criminals)
    Watch as they scream at each other
    This is what it sounds like
    When bums fight

  7. Ok so if a guy gets fired for being a sexist does he qualify for free housing once he’s homeless?
    Also, if white people become a minority in a few years can they get minority benefits and affirmative action?

    Just asking for a friend

  8. If a junkie hobo is threatening to kill his/her junkie hobo lover in the street while calling them the n-word, does that count as a hate crime?

    1. You ask a question that deserves an answer. Let me give it a try.
      Short answer- “No.”
      Longer Answer- “Mike O’Brien says No.”

    1. Hi, thanks for your support. Mike O’Brine loves what you’re putting down, but try to be more equitable and social in your dispersion of humor. Make fun of those cisgendered white christian males more often, they’re the worst, amirite? Hmm…Mike O’Brine is curious now. If one of my most vulnerable community members is a cisgendered white christian male, does that make him unworthy of our social justice, our Big Hobo initiatives, our attempts to destroy the toxic white male patriarchy? Big Hobo, help me in this, my most confounded hour! And you! Get Woke, Friend! And Remember, Vote Salty, What The Actual Heck, Vote O’Brine 2019!

        1. Going to have to agree with fumanchu. Thanks for telling me about your business in big hobo. I didn’t even realize that you don’t want to get rid of homlessness because big hobo lines your pockets with a huge slush fund!

          1. Hi, thanks for your support! I, Mike O’Brine, can feel the love tonight! Comrades, you’ve truly enriched this enabler of Big Hobo. And Remember, Vote Salty, Vote O’Brine 2019!

Leave a Reply