Published December 25 2017
At 4:27 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 25, Bellevue firefighters were dispatched to reports of a fire at a Factoria apartment building in the 12800 block of SE 40th Court. Engine Co.4 was first to arrive to find the front stairwell of the apartment building engulfed in flames with all occupant’s egress blocked by the flames.
Residents from six units in the fire building required assistance from firefighters in order to exit the building. Many were rescued with ground ladders, but one resident was injured as a result of jumping from a third story balcony prior to fire department arrival. Five adults were treated at the scene and transported to a local hospital. The Red Cross was able provide resources and housing to those displaced by the early morning fire.
In all, 49 firefighters responded to the fire with two mutual aid units from Mercer Island. Tri-Med ambulance service provided two ambulances to assist with transporting patients to the hospital.
At approximately 4:00 p.m. Bellevue Fire investigators wrapped up their near eight-hour investigation into the fire’s cause and origin. While the area the fire started in was identified, a cause could not be determined. The fire started on the exterior of the building and burned its way to the inside of the structure. The Bellevue Fire Department investigation is being closed and the fire cause has been classified as “undetermined.”