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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 41 |
| 1889 | 226 |
| 1891 | 56 |
| 1892 | 274 |
| 1893 | 285 |
| 1894 | 245 |
| 1895 | 236 |
1,363 stories matching fire
- The 1891 Building Laws That Shaped Seattle
A deep dive into the rigid safety mandates—from fire-proof walls to mandatory fire escapes—that dictated the construction of Seattle’s early downtown.
- Fire Commissioner Accused of Drunkenness and Selling His Vote
Mayor Phelps files formal charges against George T. Masel, alleging he sold his vote for chief, kept the chief in fear, and attended a West Seattle fire drunk.
- After the Fire: Rebuilding a Mill
O.W. Stetson discusses the cyclical reality of sawmill fires in early Seattle and the persistent struggle for fire safety in the local timber industry.
- Blaze at the National Bank of Commerce
A kitchen fire at the Commercial Club leaves the building soaked and damaged.
- Winter Fire Hazards Destroy Snohomish Block
A saloon lunch counter grease fire guts multiple buildings in the freezing cold, prompting calls for a permanent fire department.
- A Close Call on Yesler Avenue
A fire sparked by a porter's clumsy accident in a saloon basement is extinguished by a quick-thinking fire commissioner before it could threaten the neighborhood.
- The Tinderbox City: How Unprotected Seattle Lived in Fear of Fire
While the downtown core grew rapidly, many residential districts remained dangerously isolated from fire protection, leaving property owners in a literal state of vulnerability.
- The Mayor Moves Against the Fire Commissioner
Mayor Phelps suspends Fire Commissioner George T. Masel, files five counts of incompetence and meddling with the chief, and calls a special session to hear them.
- The City's June Fire Toll
From false alarms to tragedy, the Seattle Fire Department details a month of small blazes.
- The Great Tacoma Tailor Shop Fire
A late-night inferno destroys a popular tailor shop and nearby boarding house, highlighting the volatile fire risks in the booming city.
- The Great Fire’s Buried Treasure
A sewer crew working on Front Street unearths a long-lost safe, a fire-eaten relic from the ashes of Seattle’s 1889 catastrophe.
- Heroic Efforts Save Mill from Raging Forest Fire
A forest fire in the mountains above Dayton decimated one mill, while employees fought flames with water and back-firing techniques to save a second property.
- The Ballard Kilns Go Up in Smoke
A fire in the Stimson Mill dry house threatened $150,000 in lumber and shingles before Seattle and Ballard crews brought it under control.
- After the Fire, A New Blueprint for Seattle
When the flames destroyed the commercial district, city leaders fought to enforce strict building codes to prevent a repeat of the disaster.
- Bribery Allegations Rock the Fire Commission
A city fire commissioner reveals he was offered a $300 bribe to influence a lucrative hose contract, as rival companies trade accusations of fraud.
- A Bad Day at the Ballard Shingle Mill
A fire in Ed A. Auld's shingle mill is stopped by a neighboring company's apparatus, then two workers are maimed in separate accidents.
- The Case for a City Fire Marshal
Seattle's Board of Underwriters pushes for a dedicated official to investigate suspicious fires and enforce building safety in the wake of mounting insurance concerns.
- The Great Seattle Rebuild: Rethinking Fire Safety After the Ashes
In the wake of the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, experts and local leaders scramble to replace wooden tinderboxes with new, fireproof standards and modern building codes.
- The Fire Hose Scandal
Mayor Phelps files official charges against Fire Commissioner George T. Masel, alleging incompetence and corruption regarding the purchase of defective fire equipment.
- Seattle's Great Fire Safety Debate
City officials clash over whether to invest in expensive new fire engines or build a radical new system of salt-water mains for the business district.
- Tekoa Business District Destroyed by Incendiary Fire
A fire suspected to be arson wiped out the central business district of Tekoa, resulting in thousands of dollars of damage.
- The City's Water Problem: A Nuisance in the Making
After the Great Seattle Fire, one man's attempt to build a makeshift shelter leads to a messy public legal battle over fire hazards and sanitation.
- Inferno Consumes Roslyn Mining Town
A devastating fire tore through the canyon-bound town of Roslyn, destroying over 100 buildings and leaving the mining community in ruins.
- 1889 Spokane Falls Fire Destroys Nearly Forty Blocks
A catastrophic fire destroys thirty blocks of Spokane's business district, echoing the recent destruction in Seattle.
- After the West Street Fire, Seattle Asked for a Fire Marshal
A fire commission report found hotels and lodging houses full of traps and urged a marshal with real power to inspect, enforce and investigate.
Also about this, in other words
- The Underground Fire Beneath Jackson Street
Firemen battle a persistent blaze burning within the tide-flat ashes beneath the electric light works.
- A House on the Bluff: Fire Lights Up the City as the Engines Fail to Arrive
The lakeside home of E. J. Jeffries burns to the ground while the fire department is too far away to save it — a blaze visible for miles across Seattle.
- The Smoke That Choked the Sound
As Seattle rebuilds from its Great Fire, a more insidious disaster—the annual torching of Washington’s vast forests—threatens the region’s economic future.
- Fireboat Battles Blazing Mill on the Tide Flats
McMaster's shingle mill, a sprawling wharf-side structure, is lost to a massive fire as the city's fireboat struggles to maneuver through a congested waterway.