Authorities have found dead adults and children in a partially burned home in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood.
Officers were called to a home near the Woodland Park Zoo at 8:40 a.m. after an 11-year-old child told 911 that a dead person was in her home, according to Seattle police.
When the police arrived, they realized the building was on fire and the front door was blocked.
The firefighters then began working with police to douse the flames and ensure the safety of neighbors living to the east and west of the blaze.
When the fire was “put out” after about 45 minutes, crews entered the house and found several dead bodies. First responders found “several” dead adults in the building, along with a dead baby, child and dog, Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz and Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins said.
The fire mostly burned the front of the building where one of the adult’s bodies was found.
The police have not yet confirmed the age of the victims and at this time do not know how the fire started. It is also not known if the dead victims and the 11-year-old survivor were related.
Police Chief Adrian Diaz says one of their highest priorities is making sure the surviving child has the resources she needs to recover from the traumatic event.
“Our hearts and prayers are with the child who is still alive, as well as those who have passed away,” Diaz said. “We try to ensure that the child has a healthy recovery.”
Authorities say agents will continue to work with Seattle Fire to determine the cause of the inferno and how the victims died.
