Man critically injured in Beacon Hill house fire

SEATTLE -- A man is sent to the hospital with critical burns after his house goes up in flames. Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused that fire in the Beacon Hill neighborhood.

Alex Wong said he was concerned when he was driving home and saw large plumes of smoke coming from his neighborhood.

“I thought it was my house honestly.”

He wasn’t the only one. Gizelle Gando says when her mom saw the smoke and flames, she was worried the fire might reach other homes.

“She was questioning where the wind was going, to make sure if the fire was going to spread, it wasn't going to come our way.”



Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the one home on 20th Ave S and S Lucille St, but it was a total loss.

“We were forced to go defensive quickly, because of the amount of the involvement in the house,” says Lt. Sue Stangl with Seattle Fire. “We did not send firefighters inside the house.”

The one man who lived there was able to get out, but he suffered critical injuries. Police officers found him several blocks away.

“He had first and second degree burns over 20 percent of his body,” says Stangl. “My understanding is he was running away from the house.”

Investigators have not determined how this fire started, but they say there have been issues at the home before. There was a deck fire about three weeks ago, and a more serious fire seven years ago. Neighbors say they’ve also seen police there.

“Almost a year ago, there was a standoff, and there was like swat out here, they were shooting off gas canisters into the house,” says Wong.

He’s glad no one else was injured in this case, and that firefighters were able to get the fire out quickly.

“There’s a lot of trees and everything out here, it's good they got to it.”

The man who lived at the home was taken to Harborview with critical burns, but he is expected to recover.