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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 17 |
| 1883 | 76 |
| 1884 | 32 |
| 1885 | 100 |
| 1886 | 52 |
| 1887 | 44 |
321 stories matching fire
- The Waterfront Fire That Nearly Leveled Seattle
A dangerous cargo of dynamite on the schooner Idaho risked total catastrophe after a kerosene fire broke out at the Ocean Dock.
- The Test of the Chemical Fire Extinguisher
A skeptical crowd gathers at Second and Marion to watch a new, pressurized fire-fighting contraption in action.
- The Great Timber Fires of 1887
As drought conditions persist, devastating fires tear through the logging camps and timberlands near Seattle.
- A Miraculous Escape for Seattle
A waterfront fire threatens to consume the business district, but the volunteer fire department saves the day.
- The Smoke of the Season
Forest fires burn through Tumwater timber, impeding travel and damaging infrastructure.
- Spontaneous Combustion Narrowly Misses Seattle Disaster
A late-night fire at a dry goods store was quelled just in time, highlighting the hidden dangers of combustible materials in the wooden city.
- Fire Ravages Port Townsend's 'Chinatown'
A morning fire levels several properties in the Chinese quarter, leaving the community to count their losses.
- The Great Seattle Sawmill Fire
A spark from a passing train ignites a massive blaze in the Seattle lumber district, consuming millions of feet of lumber and threatening to incinerate the city's waterfront.
- Fire Shuts Down Hadlock Mill
A boiler room fire on a gravel foundation halts production at the Washington Mill Company, idling 100 men.
- The Great Timber Fires of 1883
Uncontrolled forest fires rage across Washington Territory, destroying logging camps and infrastructure with no end in sight.
- The Price of Fire Safety in a Growing City
A look back at Seattle's seven-year evolution from a fire-prone settlement to a city investing heavily in steam engines and professional gear.
- Olympia’s Blackest Day: A City on the Brink of Ruin
A recent fire in the state capital exposes the desperate need for modern water works and steam engines, as Olympia’s leadership warns that 'any morning may see the balance of the city in ruins.'
- The Quest for a Professional Fire Department
Seattle fire companies unite to demand a municipal department after years of disjointed volunteer service.
- The Battle for Belltown's Fire Engine
A citizen's fiery demand that the city stop hoarding firefighting resources in the business district and grant the northern residents the protection they pay for.
- Firefighters, assemble! A Puyallup Valley inferno threatens the bridge
Citizens and volunteers rush to save a critical bridge in the Puyallup valley as wildfires ravage timberlands.
- Total Loss at Black Diamond
A hotel fire in the mining town of Black Diamond leaves residents homeless and penniless.
- Major Fire Razes Ellensburgh Business District
A late-night blaze destroys a prominent general store and several neighboring residences in the heart of the growing town.
- The Fire Warden’s War with the Firemen
Seattle’s fire warden defends his authority against a rebellious engine company.
- A Governor's Buggy Ride Through a Wall of Fire
Gov. Newell and Rev. J. K. Thompson returned to Olympia after a forest fire closed in on both sides of the road, scorching their faces and nearly dropping a tree across their path.
- Chinatown Ash and Ember: A City Under Siege
A devastating fire levels the Chinese quarter in Tacoma, leaving the community in ruins and stoking the fires of anti-Chinese agitation.
- Chinatown Destroyed by Suspicious Blaze in Tacoma
Twenty-five buildings consumed in a massive fire; arson suspected in the downtown quarter.
- Fire Ravages Olympia’s Government Buildings
The Surveyor General’s office, the Land Office, and a historic church are destroyed in a devastating overnight blaze.
- A Near Disaster on the Waterfront
A fire in a Front Street lunch counter nearly consumes the business district after city officials neglected to enforce fire safety ordinances.
- The Oriental Hotel Burns to the Ground
A pre-dawn fire claims a downtown landmark, leaving one man severely injured and a widow without her business.
- Fire on Lake Bosler: A Logging Crew's Narrow Escape
A brush-clearing fire near a new railroad bridge spiraled out of control in Snohomish County, forcing a team of loggers into a desperate flight for survival.