Five Dead in Seattle Apartment Fire; First Arriving Engine Unable to Pump

SEATTLE - Investigators are looking for the cause of the fire that killed a woman and four children in a Seattle apartment.


The fire department says investigators have no reason to believe Saturday's fire was suspicious.

The department is also trying to determine why the first engine on the scene was unable to pump water. The crew had tested the pump earlier that day without any problems.

One woman and a child escaped the fire but five other family members were trapped by flames in an upstairs bathroom.

The apartment is owned by the Seattle Housing Authority, and a spokeswoman says a smoke alarm did go off.

A memorial for the victims is planned for 11 a.m. Friday at the Seattle Center's Exhibition Hall.

(with information from KCPQ-TV)

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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how awful :-(
i feel bad but there is nothing we can do. so my advice is don't let it get in the way of what we sined up for
one word....Ladders
Terrible situation all the way around. I never heard the cause of the malfunction. In the heat of the moment, with the adrenalin pumping, and people screaming, and guys calling for water, it can be very intense, especially for those that do not run the pumper every day.
I recall one case where I got the truck to the scene, but in my haste, as i jumped out of the truck I hit the N instead of the D on the trans. which of course caused the pto to not engage. Simple enough to do under the intense situation. I know of others who under the same situations, forget the almighty tank to pump valve. In some rare cases however, the machine could be to blame. Machines are machines. they sometimes fail when you least expect or want them to. Good point for the part time pump operators out there, remain calm and focused until you get the water coming out of the hose. ( then you can chit your pants - but not before)
Thoughts and prayers to the victims, and special thoughts to the fire crew! Hang in there crew!
What ? I have only seen one ladder melt in my 32 years on the FD. Also I'm sure the FF's would have done a better job if allow. The article state they are not allow in a building until water is applied to the fire. Sorry I guess I'm just an old timer, and ingading my brain.

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