Memorial Day 2024
SHA offices will be closed on Monday, May 27 to observe the Memorial Day holiday.
SHA offices will be closed on Monday, May 27 to observe the Memorial Day holiday.
From the Jan. 2022 Seattle Fire Department newsletter
On Sunday, January 9, 2022, a fire in a New York City high-rise apartment building killed 17 people, including eight children. This horribly tragic event is a grim reminder of the devastation that can occur from fires in residential buildings. The loss of life from major fires is always difficult and we want share important fire safety information with our communities with the hope of preventing such tragedies.
Early reports from this fire tell us that an electric space heater started the fire. While the details are not known as of this writing, we know that most fires involving space heaters start when items are placed too close to a space heater or when a space heater is plugged into an extension cord and not directly into the wall outlet.
Be safe with portable space heaters. Please note portable space heaters are not allowed in SHA residential units:
We also learned from this fire that the apartment door where the fire started was left open after the residents fled the apartment. In addition, some exit doors did not self close which allowed for smoke to enter stairwells and hallways and spread throughout the building and made evacuating the building dangerous and deadly. Fire doors should never be propped open. An open fire door allows smoke to travel throughout a building or enter an exit stairwell. Most of the victims died from smoke inhalation, not fire, which is what kills most people in a fire.
What to do if a fire starts inside your apartment:
If you are unable to use the stairs or if smoke is blocking your exit, shelter in place:
Make a plan before the next fire alarm sounds. Your plan should include all members of the household.