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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1876 | 2 |
| 1877 | 2 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 2 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 6 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 2 |
| 1893 | 1 |
| 1894 | 4 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1909 | 2 |
31 stories matching combust
- 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.
- A Mine Fire That Might Never Be Put Out
Black Diamond Mine No. 12 faced possible permanent abandonment after a fire underground, with flooding and spontaneous combustion complicating recovery.
- The Fire That Never Was: How Seattle’s Insurance Panic Saved the City
When two insurance executives declared Seattle a 'death trap' of combustible trash, they triggered a civic cleanup that lowered premiums and saved countless buildings from the flames that had already destroyed much of the city.
- Into the Black: A Descent into Bellingham Bay Coal Mines
An intrepid traveler documents the perilous journey down an 800-foot incline to explore the workings of the Bellingham Bay Coal Company in the late 19th century.
- Expulsion of 'Undesirables' Reported in City Council
The City Marshal’s report casually mentions the forced removal of fifty-five people, including Chinese and Black residents, as the council focuses on fire codes.
- The Franklin Mine Fire: Thirty-Seven Dead, Not a Scratch on Them
A fire in breast sixty-two traps miners between flame and return airway; bodies are laid in rows as Seattle sends a special train.
- A Night of Ruin: Olympia’s Business District Ravaged by Fire
A catastrophic blaze tears through a full city block in Olympia, leaving shopkeepers and residents devastated in its wake.
- Nineteen Buildings Gone Before Breakfast
With no fire department and only buckets, the Kitsap County seat of Sidney watched its entire business district burn to the ground in three hours — then promised to rebuild as Seattle had.
- The Great Fire at Schwabacher Bros.
A massive blaze destroys a landmark wholesale house in downtown Seattle, shaking the foundations of Pioneer Square.
- The Fiery End of the Steamship Mississippi
A historic blockade runner turned coal vessel is lost to a massive wharf fire in Seattle.
- The Oil Men’s Last Stand: Seattle’s Battle Over Fire Safety and Corporate Power
In March 1889, a proposed ordinance to ban oil storage within city limits sparked a fierce standoff between the Board of Trade and powerful petroleum interests. While the city pushed for safety, the oil dealers argued the rules were discriminatory and economically impossible, setting the stage for a legal battle that would define Seattle’s industrial future.
- The Great Skagit Flood of 1887
Thousands of acres of farmland are submerged as the Skagit River hits record-breaking, catastrophic levels.
- The Boom, The Bust, and The Fire That Haunted Whatcom
A pioneer chronicles the rise and fall of the Bellingham Bay settlements, from the discovery of coal to the geopolitical ironies that stifled a regional metropolis.
- The Iron Shed Rebellion
After the Great Seattle Fire, one man defies new building codes by erecting corrugated iron structures in the fire-restricted zone, triggering a city-wide showdown over safety and property rights.
- The Failed Arson Plot at the Denny Block
A tenant discovers a trail of kerosene-soaked fabric and a trap door beneath his shop, thwarting an attempt to burn down a Seattle business district.
- Old Buck Delivers a Knockout Blow
A saloon owner on Railroad Avenue disarms an armed intruder after a night of crime in Seattle.
- The Messenger Burned at Tacoma—and It Was No Accident
A pioneer Puget Sound steamer was destroyed by a suspected arson fire; its engineer nearly chose a razor over burning alive.
- A Powerhouse Fire Couldn't Keep Seattle's Streetcars Down for Long
Flames destroyed the Consolidated Street Railway's power house and dozens of cars before dawn, but borrowed dynamos and quick repairs had the lines running again by morning.
- The Oil Trap: How Seattle’s Greed Endangered Its Own Waterfront
A recent fire at a lodging house reveals a city-wide crisis: warehouses and homes alike are storing thousands of gallons of volatile oil, defying insurance limits and risking total destruction.
- The City Stops the Build: Seattle's 1889 Fight Over 'Fireproof' Tent-Frames
When D.K. Baxter tried to erect three structures made of pipe frames and canvas on Yesler Avenue, the city inspector shut him down, triggering a tense legal stand-off over what constitutes a safe building.
- Midnight Explosions Rock Pacific Avenue
A late-night blaze at the Robinson Clothing Company forced hotel guests to flee into the streets in their nightclothes.
- A Massive Warehouse Blaze Leaves Yakima Scrambling
A fire of unknown origin at the Chappell & Cox warehouse caused significant damage to stored furniture, machinery, and agricultural goods.
- A Near-Miss Conflagration in Old Seattle
A pre-dawn fire in a Commercial Street smokehouse nearly levels a city block, sparking a call for urban reform.
- The Oil That Could Burn the City: Seattle’s First Major Fire Safety Law
In a move to prevent catastrophic blazes, the Common Council passes strict new rules for storing gasoline and kerosene, forcing merchants to build brick vaults or face heavy fines.
- An Ellensburg Merchant's Stock Goes Up in Smoke
A mysterious blaze gutted E. K. Fugarty's mercantile store, destroying one of Central Washington's finest stocks and leaving a heavy, still-uncalculated loss.
Also about this, in other words
- The Fire Engine Test that Thrilled Fairhaven
Citizens and business leaders gathered to watch a dramatic demonstration of a new chemical firefighting engine, sparking immediate calls for city-wide protection.
- Trapped in the Wreckage
A gas explosion in Spokane turns a bookstore into a furnace, leaving a woman to face her final moments in front of a helpless crowd.
- 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 Laundry Room Explosion
A Highlands teacher narrowly escapes serious injury after a dangerous kitchen accident.
- Tragedy in the Ashford Coal Mine
A foreman dies in a heroic but doomed effort to rescue his colleagues trapped by an explosion of fire damp deep beneath the earth.
- Tragedy at Cle Elum: Twelve Tons of Dynamite Explode
A catastrophic explosion at a mining magazine claims multiple lives, including a former Lynden pioneer.
- A Close Call in the Cleaning Room
A gasoline explosion at a Kennewick dry-cleaning shop reminds residents of the dangers lurking in their businesses.
- Gas Engine Blast Injures Local Man
A gasoline engine exploded in Ralfe Anderson's face on a ranch near Mrs. R. D. Sapp, burning him badly.