House fire burns in abandoned home in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood
A fire broke out early Tuesday in a two-story house in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood that fire officials said was abandoned. The second floor and the attic were total losses.
The fire was reported at about 1:20 a.m. near the 1400 block of South J Street. According to Tacoma Fire Department, no one was at the home when crews arrived, but there was evidence that people were staying in the house and using it to stay warm. No injuries were reported.
Heavy smoke and flames were visible from the second floor and the attic when firefighters got there. Assistant chief of EMS Mary Hallman said the fire originated on the second floor. According to a tweet from the department, multiple fire crews entered the house to search for people while another crew got on the roof to cut a hole and allow smoke to ventilate.
Crews had the blaze under control by about 2 a.m. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. A fire inspector was called to the scene.
Hallman said the firefighters’ work went very smoothly, allowing them to quickly knock down the fire and prevent it from spreading to nearby homes. She said the fire was mostly on the back of the house.
“In this area, homes are all very, very close to each other,” Hallman said. “So had it been on either side, we would have certainly had spread to another structure.”
This story was originally published November 29, 2022 at 1:27 PM.
