Elderly woman found dead after a home fire near Seattle's Magnuson Park

An elderly woman was killed in a house fire Friday morning at a home near Seattle's Magnuson Park.

At 7:20 a.m., Seattle Fire Department crews were dispatched to the 7300 block of 53rd Avenue Northeast after receiving 911 calls. Callers reported hearing an explosion or a boom," with smoke and flames visible in the backyard of a home there.

When firefighters arrived, the fire was burning on the backyard deck and spreading to the first floor.

A family of three was outside of the home when firefighters arrived. One of the family members, an adult woman, reported her mother, 93, was still inside the home, likely in a second-floor bedroom, according to the Fire Department.

The three family members were returning home when they saw a smoke column in the distance. Initial reports indicated that a person in the home who called 911 was able to safely flee.

Firefighters put water on the fire while additional crews entered the home. They attempted to search the home, department spokesperson David Cuerpo said, but were unable because of the heavy smoke, uncontrolled fire and debris. When flames breached the roof from the attic space, firefighters withdrew from the building because of risk of structural collapse.

The fire extended to all three levels of the home.

Firefighters sprayed water on the fire "at a safe distance away," while working to protect the neighboring homes, Cuerpo said. About an hour later, once the fire was under control, they resumed the search and located the elderly woman, who had died. The fire was extinguished before 11 a.m., but firefighters were expected to remain on-site to monitor for flare-ups.

A King County medical examiner's office team will ultimately determine how the 93-year-old woman died, Cuerpo said, "but we do know she was not able to evacuate on her own.

The morning fire, breaking out on what was for many a holiday, rattled the usually sedate View Ridge neighborhood. Neighbors there often come together for block parties, said Ginnie Miller, who lives nearby. It's a lovely place to raise children, she said, with kids always playing in the street.

"It's terrible," said Miller, who's lived here for more than 40 years. "This is the worst thing that's happened."

It's a really tight-knit block, and everyone helps each other out, said Dinah Ryan, another neighbor, but this is tragic.

Cuerpo said the investigation was expected to continue into Saturday.

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This story was originally published July 3, 2026 at 9:41 AM.