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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 4 |
| 1876 | 12 |
| 1877 | 10 |
| 1878 | 4 |
| 1880 | 6 |
| 1882 | 5 |
| 1883 | 10 |
| 1884 | 6 |
| 1885 | 15 |
| 1886 | 7 |
| 1887 | 8 |
| 1888 | 5 |
| 1889 | 46 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 10 |
| 1892 | 34 |
| 1893 | 57 |
| 1894 | 50 |
| 1895 | 37 |
| 1899 | 7 |
| 1903 | 2 |
| 1904 | 1 |
| 1909 | 1 |
| 1916 | 5 |
| 1923 | 1 |
| 1924 | 1 |
345 stories matching destroy
- Seattle's Central Market Burns in the City's Largest Fire
A night blaze destroys the Central Market building, kills a lineman, and leaves hundreds of commission merchants and market gardeners ruined.
- Roused from Sleep: A Family Left Destitute by a Flue Fire Near Green Lake
A defective chimney destroys the home of a Scandinavian family north of Ravenna Park, leaving them nearly without possessions as neighbors take them in.
- Lake Union Lumber Mill Destroyed by Fire
A significant industrial loss at Lake Union, including thousands of dollars in machinery and inventory, alongside damage to a nearby school construction project.
- Bark Factory Destroyed by Afternoon Blaze
A fire at the Helms bark and berry basket factory in Seattle caused $5,000 in damages, leaving the owner without insurance.
- The Unfinished Business of the Great Fire
Months after the Seattle Great Fire of 1889, local businesses and residents were still embroiled in legal battles over destroyed property and forced evictions from the ruins.
- A Home Lost to Fire in the Growing City
A vacant house on the corner of Hyde and Lite streets is destroyed by fire, leaving a young couple who had only recently moved in with nothing.
- The landlord's dilemma when the building burns
Legal experts debate whether tenants are entitled to a rent refund when their rented rooms are destroyed by fire mid-month.
- The Yesler Will Conspiracy
Prominent Seattle figures face charges of destroying the last testament of the city's pioneer founder as the defense fights for a dismissal.
- The Citizenship Trap
A new voter registration law in Seattle is effectively disenfranchising naturalized citizens who cannot produce lost or destroyed immigration papers.
- The Union Club's Roulette Wheel
A judge rules that a seized roulette wheel isn't necessarily a gambling tool, sparking a debate over the city's power to destroy property.
- Fire Sweeps Through Seattle’s Cooperage
A morning inferno destroys fifteen homes, leaving families homeless and rumors of child casualties swirling through the city.
- Abandoned North Seattle Home Destroyed by Fire
An unoccupied house in the city's north side was reduced to ash in the early hours of Monday morning.
- Fatal Fire Consumes Seattle Dock
A spectacular inferno at Pier 11 kills a child and destroys $600,000 in property.
- Arson Suspected at the People's Theater
A suspicious fire destroys stage scenery at the People's Theater, causing $700 in damage, with staff claiming the blaze was intentionally set.
- An Unexplained Blaze in Ballard
A house belonging to a shingle weaver is destroyed by a suspicious fire in Ballard, potentially linked to labor unrest.
- A Green Lake Home Lost to Flames
A handsome residence near Green Lake is destroyed by fire while the family is away, leaving behind only the memory of a swing in the backyard.
- Ballard Opera House Destroyed by Blaze
A mysterious fire levels the largest building in Ballard, narrowly sparing the surrounding town.
- The Front Street Fight: Seattle’s First Battle Over Urban Planning
In a rare moment of civic clarity, the Seattle City Council rejected a street railway company's proposal to destroy Front Street, recognizing that private profit should not override public infrastructure.
- Ballard Mill Fire Sparks Legal Battle with Great Northern Railway
Insurance companies have filed suit against the Great Northern Railway, alleging a passing locomotive started a massive fire that destroyed the Fleming-Ayerst mill.
- Mystery Fire Destroys Drexel Avenue Residence
A valuable home is reduced to ash while the owners are away, leaving behind questions about the cause and the fate of rare art pieces.
- South Seattle Blaze Destroys Mill
A major fire swept through the Reitze-Stetson sash and door factory in South Seattle early this morning, causing $21,000 in damages and leaving the mill in ruins.
- The Cudahy Packing Plant Fire
A catastrophic fire destroys a waterfront warehouse, turning tons of meat into a 'seething mass of flames.'
- The Great Timber Fires of 1887
As drought conditions persist, devastating fires tear through the logging camps and timberlands near Seattle.
- Three Children Die in Seattle Fire as Father's Rescue Fails
A morning blaze destroyed John Simpson's Seattle home, killing three children asleep upstairs while Simpson and his wife escaped with their baby. Simpson was badly burned in several failed attempts to reach the children.
- Half-Million Dollar Blaze Destroys Cincinnati Freight Depot
Seattle fire department rushed to the corner of Sixth and Main streets to battle a fire that decimated a major grain and freight warehouse.