City Services

Roosevelt house fire being investigated as arson (PHOTOS)

July 22, 2014 by Rebecca Nelson 2 Comments

An early morning house fire in the Roosevelt neighborhood is being investigated as an arson.

From the Seattle Fire Department’s Fire Line:

[SFD crews were] dispatched at 2:09 am to a house near 8 Avenue NE and NE 72 Street for a report of a porch fire that extended to the roof. Firefighters quickly extinguished the visible flames but worked for about an hour aggressively digging out the hidden fire located in the attic void spaces. The home owner discovered the fire and was out of the building by the time firefighters arrived.

After the home was extinguished, fire investigators determined that the fire was intentionally set on the front porch, and the case was turned over to the Seattle Police Department’s Arson/Bomb Unit.

Investigators also estimated $100,000 in damage to the house and its contents, with an additional $5,000 damage to the home next door where the siding had begun to melt.

If you have any information which could aid detectives in their investigation, please call the SPD Arson/Bomb Unit at (206) 684-8980.

Todd Byers, in yellow, talks with neighbors as they survey the damage to his home on the morning after the fire.

Filed Under: 911, Crime, Photos, Roosevelt, Seattle Fire Department, Seattle Police Department

Road safety improvements coming to NE Blakeley Street / Union Bay Place NE

July 2, 2014 by Oralea Howard 5 Comments

Some well-known traffic trouble spots near University Village are getting some overdue attention next month.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is in the process of designing the following safety improvements to the Union Bay Place NE/NE Blakeley Street area (projected to begin construction as early as August 2014):

25th Ave NE & NE Blakeley Street: Modified signal timing and intersection design. New bicycle leaning rails* (allow cyclists to wait for light change without dismounting, placing one foot on the rail).

30th Ave NE & the Burke-Gilman Trail: Raised pedestrian crosswalk and repaired sidewalks approaching this crosswalk along 30th Ave NE between NE 50th Street and Union Bay Place NE.

Union Bay Place NE between NE 45th St & 30th Ave NE: New paved and painted pedestrian pathway along both sides.

View Safety Improvements to NE Blakeley St and Union Bay Place NE in a larger map

This work is funded by mitigation from the University Village and the Village QFC as well as Pedestrian Master Plan improvements. You can read more about the mitigation funding of this project on page 17 of this SDOT analysis of QFC’s 2012 land use application (208 KB PDF) to expand the store and build a parking garage.

The pedestrian improvements are part of SDOT’s Sidewalk Development Program and funded by the voter-approved Bridging the Gap levy. The Program’s 2014 projects include these new sidewalk connections:

North Beacon Safety Connections, including Beacon Ave S and 14th Ave S
23rd Ave S/S Walker St, including S College St and Rainier Ave S
Delridge Way SW/SW Andover St, including 23rd Ave SW
Lake City Way/24th Ave NE
Union Bay Place NE/NE Blakeley St, including 30th Ave NE and 25th Ave NE

Questions? Contact Maribel Cruz with SDOT at 206-684-7963 or maribel.cruz@seattle.gov.

***

*We are looking into the bicycle leaning rails to find out more about them (and see if these will be the first ones installed in Seattle). We will update the post as we learn more!

Filed Under: Construction, Ravenna, Seattle Department of Transportation, Traffic, University Village

Vehicle theft leads to hit and run, and ends with foot chase (UPDATES)

June 24, 2014 by Rebecca Nelson 2 Comments

At approximately 12:40 PM on Tuesday, June 24, Seattle Police and Fire staff responded to a motor vehicle accident (MVA) call at 12th Avenue NE and NE 65th Street, next to the Roosevelt Light Rail Station construction site.

What was unusual for this particular MVA was the large number of police vehicles near the collision site (at least nine, by our quick count). Turns out that this incident was a hit-and-run by a stolen vehicle, Seattle Police told us via twitter. A witness to the incident said that after the collision, the suspect fled south.

pic.twitter.com/XjRzTOZjR5

— Oralea White (@OraleaW) June 24, 2014

South of the collision area, on the east side of 12th Avenue NE (pictured above) medics were treating an adult male while officers looked on.

We’ll post more details below when we get them.

UPDATE (1:49 PM): We have confirmation by the SPD that the “suspect was detained by Seattle residents while officers arrived.”

UPDATE (Wednesday morning): Q13FOX had a story on the incident during their 11 PM newscast. You can read the summary and/or watch the video here.

UPDATE (Thursday morning): On the afternoon of the incident, we reached out on twitter on the off chance of contacting someone involved in the subduing of the suspect after he fled the stolen vehicle. A man named Shawn (last name withheld by request) replied, not only with his narrative of the events but a very thoughtful setting of his role that afternoon.

We have yet to see an official narrative of the incident from the Seattle Police Department, but the description of the event that Shawn has shared with us matches what other witnesses at the scene observed.

Here is the account, in Shawn’s words, from two separate emails received on Wednesday:

If you’d just like my recollection of events, I was overlooking the intersection there, on the NE corner of 2nd level of the Whole Foods shopping plaza. I was on break from work at the time, when I heard a loud screech followed by a massive crunch of metal.

I hurried down the stairs located on the NE corner there and looked over to my left to see a car pretty much flipped into incoming traffic. I began running toward the car to check on the victims when I realized that people were yelling STOP HIM at someone.

I looked over across the street and saw a young guy in a red T shirt and baggy jeans running down the opposite sidewalk. I shouted, Hey you, stop, and he didn’t acknowledge me or the other people shouting similar things.

It was at that point I shouted at him again, Hey, you, stop right now, and started chasing after him. I ran across the street and onto the opposite curb; he wasnt a great runner and I caught up to him near the SE corner of the Whole Foods on the opposite side of the street. He actually tripped himself up mostly, and kind of ditched it into the bushes there along with his bag… I slid him off the bush and onto the ground and tried to get control of his arms.

At that point the level of rational thought I had put into this move was literally zero, and it was about then that he started getting really squirrelly with his left arm, trying to pull it away and use it as leverage or reach for something. He actually did pull it completely out of my grasp at one point and it was all I could do to keep it pinned underneath him, afraid what he might try to pull out.

Fortunately that was the moment that the driver and another Good Samaritan ran up and helped get better control over him; I kept shouting at onlookers to call the cops not sure if any of them actually had or not. I was very concerned about the well-being of the driver, who probably should not have been running after this guy after such a serious crash; he was being treated after I finished giving the cops a statement and I was glad to hear he ended up being pretty much ok.

It only took about 5 minutes or so for the cops to show up, by which time we were all wrapped up pretty good with the guy, who was resisting and shouting the whole time. The cops knew who to go for right away (a small relief) and they pulled us apart and took him into custody.

That was about the point I realized I was probably going to be late back into work, and asked the cop after giving my contact info if he could write me a note for my supervisor. He gave me his card, and said just give them this, if they have any problems at all, call me.

That was pretty much it. Tbh I didn’t think about it at all, if I had, I probably would have done nothing. But I was worried he might try to carjack someone or worse and it just kind of happened. :3

I didn’t even realize it was a stolen car at the time, I just saw him running from an accident that he caused and no one moving in the victims car.

[…]and I just don’t really want any undue attention for such a minor incident.

Ultimately, the only thing I’ve really taken away from this and other similar events is that sometimes we are at the right time and the right place, in life, to affect change or do the right thing. And in those rare moments, it’s better to go with your gut reaction and act rather than forever wonder ‘what if’. Being trapped in a box alone with that question can be a deadly curse.

I would just add that we each have far more power than we think, and I truly believe we are all responsible for making the world we live in into the world we’d imagine for ourselves and our loved ones.

On Tuesday afternoon, one man was booked into King County Jail for vehicle theft. We are watching for more documentation on the case (in King County District Court) and will continue to add updates here.

Filed Under: 911, Crime, Photos, Roosevelt, Seattle Fire Department, Seattle Police Department

Last day of live fire exercises at 32nd and 68th (PHOTOS)

May 17, 2014 by Rebecca Nelson 1 Comment

Friday, May 16 was the final day of live fire training at 6556 32nd Avenue NE, and it was a doozy.

“Two months to build, ninety minutes to destroy,” said one of the firefighters at the scene. Looking at the clock at the end of the burn down, he wasn’t that far off.

How did you think they washed their bunker gear?

Mr. Propane Torch is ready.

Recruits run EVERYWHERE…

…even to photo ops.

Pre-burn down meeting between trainers and recruits.

If we all put our shoes INSIDE our pants before we put them on, just think how much faster we could get dressed in the morning.

Lt. Sue Stangl, one of the Seattle Fire Department’s public information officers, was on hand once again to answer questions. Here she’s telling spectators that once the smoke and fire get going, we may all want to move.

This set of valves split the main line of water being pumped from a nearby engine (on the right, near the boot) into multiple lines to various hoses. This firefighter is about to turn the valves to ON and is holding down the apparatus with his body weight. Lots of pressure about to be released.

After the fire was set inside the house, the first sense to pick up the change was hearing: Snapping and crackling could be heard. Then smoke began to leak out of the stripped roof.

Flames were not far behind.

Increase in the flames.

Imagined conversation later in the day:

“Hey, grandpa. What did you do today?”

“Oh, you know. Just sat on the stoop and looked outside.”

“It was a beautiful day! You should have at least gone for a walk.”

“Eh. Nah.”

A hole had been pre-cut in the roof on the east side of the house (near the peak of the Bravo side). The flames from here were TALL.

A movie to show Mommy later.

I never made it to any of the afternoon training sessions, but the morning sessions were never this well attended. And never had nearly so many miniature lawn chairs.

Top floor window on the Delta side. Roof beams now exposed.

Below this window, one can start to see the flames through small holes in the exterior of the house.

Roof peak gone.

And the rest of the roof is soon to follow.

Three representatives from Polygon Northwest, the company that purchased the old Children’s Home Society land and will develop the parcel, were on hand today for the fire.

When you’re a retired Seattle firefighter who takes pictures for the department, you get a better perch.

As the fire consumed the living room, an occasional piece of glass would pop out and shatter.

Alpha side.

Deputy Chief Phil Jose (white helmet) talks with Lt. Stangl, and Lt. Luis Batayola (red helmet) from nearby Fire Station 38. Station 38 will be doing some training next week on at least one of the remaining single family homes on the north side of the block (no more total burn downs, though).

In the background here we see one of the engines covered in wet tarps to protect the equipment from the heat of the fire. The yellow tape marks the boundary where only fire department personnel may enter. The red and white striped tape marks the exclusion zone around the burning house where no one may enter.

Anytime a section of the house fell in and sent up a shower of ash, a firefighter stationed at the northwest corner of the house would send a shower of water into the air after it.

Here we see one of the recruits enjoying some rehab time with a piece of pizza. (Most confused-looking delivery boy ever, by the way.)

Alpha side has seen better days.

It’s easy to see why people like calendars full of these guys.

Oh. Hello there, sir. Are you looking at m…

…oh, there’s a cute kid standing in front of me. Never mind.

Bravo side.

Little girl fresh from ballet class (looks like), watching the event with her hands clasped behind her back, just like the recruits.

Another shot at some ash as the front of the house falls in.

The one place WITHOUT fire? The fire place.

This section around a Delta side window resembles an Easter Island monolith. To me.

View through the length of the house. Daylight basement indeed.

Here a recruit helps protect a tree at the corner of the lot (viewed through a chain link fence). This tree will be kept on the property even as Polygon homes constructs a run of seven single-family homes down this side of 32nd Avenue NE.

Charlie side, with the alley beyond.

As nearby Eckstein Middle School let out, swaths of teenagers wandered by the scene.

Watching Bravo side.

The woman on the left is Deb, a local resident. The woman on the right is Sunny, and she and her family used to rent this house. She, her husband, and their two children lived in 6556 32nd Avenue NE for four years before they purchased their own home and moved on.

We agreed that this was all really weird for her to watch.*

As the house become not much more than smoldering embers, the firefighters donned their air supply masks and waded in.

Debris was moved from the yard surrounding the house to within the cement foundation.

The maple tree the firefighters were protecting got a bit singed, but will definitely pull through.

I told Lt. Stangl that this sort of event must be like the Blue Angles equivalent for the fire department.

At the tail end of the burn, Battalion 4’s chief stopped for a visit. Not much left of the house besides the fireplace.

Previous posts on these live fire exercises:

Seattle Fire to conduct “live fire” training at old CHSW site on May 13-16

Day Two photos

Day Three photos

____________________

*Sunny: If you see this, I apologize for not saying more about your family’s time in the neighborhood and in this house. Later that afternoon I returned my defective iPhone, got a new one, and only then realized that I had not backed up my notes from the event (which included your email address). Thank you for sharing your memories of your time in this house with me.

Filed Under: Events, Photos, Ravenna, Seattle Fire Department

Live fire training at 32nd and 68th (PHOTOS)

May 14, 2014 by Rebecca Nelson Leave a Comment

Today was the second of four days of live fire training at NE 68th Street and 32nd Avenue NE. We stopped by to watch some of the action.

Oh, this poor house. It’s definitely getting the business. Still two days of training left to go, with a full house fire scheduled for Friday (potentially after lunchtime).

Periods of heavy smoke occur during some of the training exercises. In the event of a burn ban, this type of training would be canceled.

Recruits removing burnt pallets from the house after the first “evolution” of the day (a ventilation exercise).

One of the pallets continues to smolder outside.

A trainer (in blue) discusses the next evolution with the seven very serious recruits…

…who are then encouraged to head across the street to say hello to a so-excited-he’s-overwhelmed toddler.

Suiting up for the next exercise.

Oh, hey, there’s some fire.

Recruits discuss the situation while more trainers look on.

Behind these two fire fighters is the large blowtorch used to start the fires.

Filming the training.

A class from nearby Assumption-St. Bridget school came over for a closer look.

Another view from the west side. A trainer’s oxygen tank got caught on the yellow fire line tape, and it almost knocked over the camera…

…but he caught it. Very good at saving all sorts of things, these folks.

Another fire fighter at the scene talked about the training with the ASB students. Here’s he’s showing the kids how his respirator works.

Pallets used in the training get a proper post-exercise hose-down.

For more information on this live fire training by the Seattle Fire Department, visit our earlier post.

Filed Under: Events, Photos, Ravenna, Seattle Fire Department

Eckstein student hucks a Luger, sends his school into lockdown

May 7, 2014 by Rebecca Nelson 1 Comment

Around 9:30 AM this morning, Eckstein Middle School was briefly in “shelter-in-place” mode as a report of a student with a weapon was investigated by Seattle police officers. From the Seattle Police Department Blotter:

A 13-year old boy has been arrested after he stole a gun from his grandmother’s house sending a nearby school into “lockdown”. Around 9:30 am on Wednesday May 7^th a woman called to report that her 13-year old grandson had stolen a loaded antique German Luger and left the house.

Numerous officers responded to the area and quickly began searching for the teen in addition to putting Eckstein Middle School in “lockdown” out of an abundance of caution. Officers located the teen in a few minutes later and he was arrested. All school activity returned to normal. A witness helped officers locate the gun having seen the teen hide it in some bushes nearby.

The teen was booked into the King County Youth Service Center for Investigation of Theft.

An email by Eckstein Middle School Principal Sherri Kokx was sent to students’ parents and guardians around 2 PM explaining the events of the morning.

Filed Under: Crime, Eckstein Middle School, Ravenna, Seattle Police Department, Wedgwood

Seattle Fire to conduct “live fire” training at old CHSW site on May 13-16 (UPDATE)

April 28, 2014 by Rebecca Nelson 4 Comments

We’ve learned from our friends at the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association that the new owner of the old Children’s Home Society of Washington site (3300 NE 65th Street) has offered the use of some of the old structures on the grounds to the Seattle Fire Department for “live fire” exercises.

Three single-family homes on the site will become the training grounds for Seattle Fire recruits who are in their last weeks of training. These training exercises, which include “practice such as cutting holes in roofs, dragging fire hose lines inside,” and, in the case of the house at 6556 32nd Ave NE, actual fire, are scheduled for May 13-16.

6556 32nd Avenue NE, one of three single-family homes on the north side of the old CHSW property.

Before homes are selected for training exercises, they must be evaluated and tested for household hazardous materials (ex. asbestos). From an email provided by the RBCA from Eric Evans with Polygon Northwest (the new owners of of the old CHSW site):

Notice of Fire Department Training (click to enlarge)

This environmental investigation has been completed and a certificate from a professional hazardous material contractor has been provided to the Seattle Fire Department evidencing that the homes are free of any such materials. With these certificates in hand, the homes are now being disconnected from the existing overhead and underground utilities consistent with the underlying demolition permits that the City has issued for these single family homes. The homes are scheduled to be disconnected on Monday, 4/28 with the work being completed by Seattle City Light, Garner Electric and BDZ Construction.

After homes are selected and deemed safe for training exercise purposes, the neighborhood is notified and Seattle Fire Department staff begin preparing the buildings for the drills.

During the first week of May, Captain Brian Maier will be making the rounds in the neighborhood around the site, informing residents of the upcoming training exercises. On Tuesday, May 6, Seattle Fire Department staff will begin the training preparations, which include delivering port-a-potties and prepping the training homes. Then, on the morning of the following Tuesday, May 13, the recruits arrive and drills begin.

Neighbors with questions about the training exercises are asked to contact Captain Maier at 386-1771, or via email at allen.maier@seattle.gov.

For more information on vacant buildings and the training opportunities they provide for Seattle Fire staff, visit the Seattle Fire Department’s Vacant Buildings Wanted! page.

Page 29 from the Early Design Review #2 presentation of Bryant Heights (click to enlarge)

For more information on what is going up once the old CHSW buildings go down, the RBCA has a small update on Bryant Heights in their post about the SFD training exercises. You can download the latest design plans for Bryant Heights here (35 MB PDF).

And for more information on the Children’s Home Society of Washington’s long tenure at 3300 NE 65th Street, head over here to HistoryLink.org.

UPDATE (Tuesday, May 13): Sue Stangl of the SFD tells us the recruits will be doing room fires on Tuesday through Thursday (two fires, lunch, two more fires), starting around 7 AM each day. And then, on Friday, “they will strip the roof and then start the house on fire for a complete burn down.”

UPDATE: The training has definitely started!

Breaking down the door pic.twitter.com/c4ntY3dl4I

— Oralea White (@OraleaW) May 13, 2014

Filed Under: Bryant, Events, Ravenna, Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, Real Estate, Seattle Fire Department

Car strikes local convenience store; driver injured

April 16, 2014 by Rebecca Nelson 2 Comments

Just after 1:30 PM on Wednesday, April 16, Seattle Fire and Police units responded to a car-into-building call at the Wedgwood Mart (6236 35th Ave NE).

A man in a silver Lexus had a seizure (per Seattle Fire PIO Sue Stangl), and ended up driving up over the sidewalk along 35th Ave NE and into the convenience store’s parking lot, coming to rest on the front sidewalk of the store and against a brick pillar.

A witness who called 911 on the convenience store’s phone told us that the car struck a small tree in the parking strip before it struck the building. She also said that the shopkeeper was standing just to the left of the car’s final position and was nearly hit as well.

The witness also said that first responders broke a window of the vehicle to gain access to the driver. The adult male driver was later removed from the vehicle, conscious and alert from our vantage point, and was taken to a nearby hospital in an AMR ambulance.

Above, an officer stands nearby the vehicle as it is prepared to be towed out of the parking lot. Traffic nearby was impacted only briefly as the tow truck entered and exited the lot.

After the damaged car was removed, it appeared as though very little damage was done to the convenience store.

Filed Under: 911, Bryant, Businesses, Photos, Ravenna, Seattle Fire Department, Seattle Police Department

Dennis and Judy Schulte Memorial Walk & Rally (PHOTOS)

March 30, 2014 by Rebecca Nelson 11 Comments

On Monday, March 25, 2013, a family crossing NE 75th Street at 33rd Avenue NE was struck by a drunk driver. Grandparents Judy and Dennis Schulte were killed instantly. New mother Karina Ulriksen-Schulte and her ten-day-old baby boy, Elias, were both critically injured.

A year later, Karina and Elias, along with other family members, community members, safe streets advocates, and local community and state representatives returned to the site together. And then continued on to a rally for more action to prevent driving while intoxicated.

The weather seemed to echo the emotions of the walkers: Blazing bright sunlight one moment — matching the smiles of those on the walk — followed by dark skies, heavy rains, and heavy hearts.

Our goal during the walk and rally was to capture as many images as we could. For more on the story of the walk and rally, we’ve collected links below:

On year anniversary of devastating DUI, community rallies in call for ‘vision zero’ – Seattle Bike Blog

Walking for Safe Roads – Wedgwood Community Association

Family, friends mark somber DUI crash anniversary – KOMO News (includes video)

Memorial walk, call for action a year after deadly Wedgwood DUI crash – Seattle Times (includes a photo gallery)

The starting point of the anniversary memorial walk was the same as it was almost a year ago: Top Pot Doughnuts, on the corner of NE 70th St and 35th Ave NE.

Before joining the main group of walkers across the street, members of the Schulte family met with some of the staff of Fire Station 40. Their engine was one of the first emergency vehicles to arrive at the collision scene a year ago.

Dan Schulte and one of the fire fighters of Station 40.

Back over at Top Pot, local media had some time to talk to Dan Schulte before the walk.

Here’s the same scene from another angle.

Per Johnson of the Wedgwood Community Council speaks to the gathered walkers. Purple shirts were given to participants to wear during the walk and rally, and also to the other events during Safe Roads Awareness Week.

Dan Schulte with his sister, Marilyn.

Seattle Police Department officers prepare to guide those on the memorial walk down the route to the crash.

Dan Schulte pushes his wife, Karina Ulriksen-Schulte, at the beginning of the memorial walk. Their son, Elias, is in the stroller on Karina’s right.

Former Mayor Mike McGinn (center, with blue cap) at the start of the walk.

State Representative Gerry Pollet (teal jacket, in front of yellow umbrella).

Madi Carlson, Family Ride, walks her wheels and brood down NE 35th Avenue.

The first round of heavy rain begins as the group nears the intersection of 35th Avenue NE and NE 75th Street. State Representative Jessyn Farrell (tan trenchcoat) walks with her two children.

The group begins to cross the intersection of 35th Avenue NE and NE 75th Street. As they walk up the hill towards 33th Avenue NE, the walkers take the same route (west up NE 75th Street) as Mark Mullan did in his large black pick-up truck one year ago.

Dan and Karina, and family.

At the NW corner of where 33rd Avenue NE meets NE 75th Street, the group pauses for a few moments, in silence. (We returned to the corner a few hours later to take the video above.)

Schulte family members moving on after a pause at the crash site.

One woman watches the family walk on as the main group of walkers continues to linger for a quiet moment at the site of the crash.

Main group now moving toward the site of the rally on the lawn of nearly Eckstein Middle School.

Battalion 6 Chief Mike Milam (white shirt, black tie) speaks with Fire Station 40 staff near the crash site. Chief Milam was also at the scene a year ago.

News crews film the crowd and the memorial site while some Eckstein students look on.

By the time the group arrives at the rally site, the rain was coming down hard.

Ravenna-Bryant Community Association board member Sarah Swanberg.

Dan Schulte thanks the first responders in attendance, and the crowd applauds.

Karina Ulkisen-Schulte (center with brown cap) listens to husband Dan speak.

Per Johnson (green), Cathy Tuttle (teal), and the crowd.

SDOT’s Chief Traffic Engineer, Dongho Chang, was easy to spot in the crowd.

Lacia Lynn Bailey keeps Judy’s Truffle dry at the rally. Lacia and a much smaller Judy’s Truffle were the last to speak with Judy, Dennis, Karina and Elias before they continued down 33rd Avenue NE to cross the street. She would also be one of the first people at the collision scene moments later.

SDOT Traffic Safety Coordinator Jim Curtin stands under his yellow umbrella during downpour number three of the event.

Sergeant Dave Fitzgerald of the Seattle Police Department, listening to speakers at the rally.

Mayor McGinn (in red) stands next to Cathy Tuttle, executive director of Seattle Neighborhood Greenways.

Virginia Gunby (burgundy coat), Transportation Chair of the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, and her husband listen to rally speaker Darrin Grondel, Director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

State Senator David Frockt speaking at the rally. Courtney Popp, an attorney who volunteers with MADD, also spoke.

Elias, having a snack.

During a shift between pouring rain and pouring sunlight, we did get a rainbow near the crash site.

Marilyn Schulte addresses the crowd, thanking neighborhood residents for their support of her family.

After the rally concluded, Senator Frockt and a staffer (facing the camera) listened to Lacia Bailey describe the events of a year ago. Frockt’s own grandparents were killed in a collision by a suspected intoxicated driver in Tennessee.

Natural flowers at the rally site.

Hand-made flowers on Lacia’s fence across from the crash site.

The afternoon before the walk and rally, Lacia invited the community to come paint her fence, just across the street from the crash site, with bright flowers and positive messages to “DRIVE SOBER.” Judy’s Truffle was on hand, offering suggestions and reprising her position last year of comfort goat to those who needed a nuzzle.

Filed Under: Eckstein Middle School, Families, Memorials, Photos, Ravenna, Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Fire Department, Seattle Police Department, Wedgwood, Wedgwood Community Council

BOOM in the neighborhood – lousy March weather strikes (UPDATES)

March 29, 2014 by Rebecca Nelson 3 Comments

At about 4:26 PM on Saturday afternoon, the weather turned TOO EXCITING near Ravenna Blog HQ. Lightning struck a tree just a couple hundred feet away, sending bark flying, hearts pounding, and causing a small power outage.

Engine 16 stopped by to check things out briefly. A light smell of wood smoke hung in the air, and a homeowner nearby mentioned a cracked window.

Power was lost the instant the lightning struck, but the outage looks to be a small one, affecting around 60 households.

Good to see you, too, Seattle City Light!

UPDATE (5:37 PM): On that lightning strike/power outtake just north of Green Lake:

On scene where lightning hit church no injuries 2×4 hole no power pic.twitter.com/KhzV4m0Ac8

— Henry Rosoff (@HenryRosoff) March 30, 2014

UPDATE (6:15 PM): Estimated time of restoration for the Ravenna outage is around 1:30 AM, but you should check back here later for updated information.

Filed Under: 911, Green Lake, Photos, Power Outage, Ravenna, Seattle City Light, Seattle Fire Department, Updates