<b>Terra Apartments Fire -</b> (Top Photo) Fire consumed the Terra Apartments in the early morning hours of June 29th. <b>Photo by Menad Yashruti.</b> (Bottom Photo) Cissy Harkelrode escaped out a balcony door , hanging on to tree limbs and other balconies in Terra Apartment building destroyed the fire. Her apartment is shown above after the fire.<b> Photo by Jerry Robinson </b>
Three people died in a major fire that broke out during the early morning hours of June 29th at the Terra Apartments at 5th Ave S.W. and 155th. The fire destroyed two apartment buildings. When Cissy Harkelrode smelled smoke at around midnight she knew enough to get out, making her escape out the balcony door of her apartment, then climbing out to hang on a tree limb and balcony rails. Two adjoining eight unit apartments at 155th and 5th sw in Burien were involved. No residents had fire insurance in the low income apartments. Five people were taken to Highline Hospital emergency and were treated and released.
The Red Cross is now attempting to find shelter for approximately 50 people displaced by the fire.
Neighbors helped and Red Cross and Starbucks provided free coffee for the crowd and the survivors.
