Two fires in the Highland Park neighborhood of West Seattle kept firefighters busy on Wednesday. The first which broke own the 7000 block of Highland Park Way S.W. at a sheet metal fabricator called Pionneer Human Services at approximately 11:47 am was limited to a bin of metals and 150 employees were evacuated while the blaze was being dealt with. Seattle Fire brought in mobile ventilation unit to drive the smoke out of the building. The bin contained titanium, aluminum and magnesium and once ignited magnesium burns at around 4000 degrees, making it essentially impossible to put out with water. Dry chemical extinguishers were applied but firefighters had to simply let it burn out.

No one was hurt and no damage estimate or direct cause was offered, as the investigation is underway.

The second fire around 12:15pm did considerably more damage to what SFD PIO Kyle Moore said is a duplex in the 7500 block of 11th Ave. S.W. burning off much of the front of the building in the western unit, considered now a total loss. A hole was cut in the roof to provide ventilation for the smoke and it was put out quickly.
The resident of the unit had been inside ten minutes before the call came from the resident of the eastern unit. The western unit resident did come back but so far no cause or damage estimate has been made.