Firefighter hurt after falling from South Seattle apartment window

An electrical short caused a fire that broke out early this morning at a South Seattle apartment, burning a resident and injuring a firefighter who entered the unit and fell through a window, authorities said.

The fire department got a call at 4:42 a.m. of flames coming from an apartment on the 6500 block of Rainier Avenue South. Firefighters arrived at the two-story building and had the fire "under control pretty quickly," said Fire Department spokeswoman Helen Fitzpatrick.

One of the firefighters, 58, whose name was not released, went inside the first-floor apartment to ventilate the unit, she said.

It was pitch-black inside. His hands felt along the wall to locate a window. But when he found one, he ended up going through it, Fitzpatrick said.

"Either the window was open or the glass was broken," she said.

The firefighter, who fell about 15 feet, landed on all fours and never lost consciousness, she said. He has been with the department for 38 years, she added.

He was taken to Harborview Medical Center with neck, back and shoulder injuries. Four people — two adults and two children — lived in the apartment, Fitzpatrick said. The man who was home suffered some burns to his hands and legs and was taken to Harborview, she said.

Damage was estimated at $60,000.

Sonia Krishnan: 206-515-5546 or skrishnan@seattletimes.com