A massive warehouse fire sent plumes of smoke into the skies just south of downtown Wednesday night, as flames ripped through the roof and walls.
The fire set-off a series of explosions inside the building in the 3600 block of E Marginal Way S as crews took up defensive positions to try and hold it all back.
“The fire had already taken such a great foothold in the structure that it was just too risky to send firefighters in,” said Lt. Sue Stangl with the Seattle Fire Department. The fire put up a column of dark smoke that could be seen for miles, and police raced to divert traffic around the area.
The warehouse is part of an automobile wrecking yard, but investigators said no one was working when the building started to burn. They are still trying to figure out how the fire started, adding that while it's unlikely fireworks are to blame, there are too many things inside the warehouse to pinpoint a cause.