Man dies in apartment fire in Capitol Hill building

An elderly man died in an apartment-building fire on Seattle's Capitol Hill this morning.

The fire, which was reported about 6:20 a.m., was in a building slated to be torn down, according to the city's department of planning and development.

The elderly man was the only occupant of the building, said Dana Vander Houwen, fire department spokeswoman. He was brought out by medics but died at the scene, she said.

The fire began on the first floor and quickly spread to the fourth floor of the building, located at 1605 Bellevue Avenue near Pine Street. A second fire alarm went out at 6:30 a.m. and 65 firefighters showed up to fight the blaze, Vander Houwen said.

The fire was out by 7:30 a.m.; one firefighter suffered minor injuries and was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Fire investigators are trying to determine the cause.

The 89-year-old man who died lived in the building for about 40 years, said Dennis Saxman, a friend who knew him.

Officials have not yet released the victim's identity.

According to a land-use notice, the structure was set to be replaced by a six-story residential building with ground floor retail and parking for more than 100 cars underground.

All other tenants in the 26-unit building had moved out, said Reneé Witt, spokeswoman for the Seattle Police Department. The owner had told the victim he had to vacate by today, she said.

"Apparently, he was the last hold out," Witt said.

She said there was so much stuff in his apartment that "it was spewing over onto the balcony." It's unclear at this point if the stuff impeded his ability to get out in time, she said.

The victim's wife had died a few years ago and he was living there alone, Saxman said.

The victim, "a feisty man with nerves of steel," was having a hard time dealing with the impending move, Saxman said.

"It was tough on him," Saxman said. "He had been here for so long."

John Werner — former owner of the complex who sold the building in 2006 — said he had known the victim for more than 20 years.

In fact, Werner said, he had employed him and his wife to manage the property.

Werner described the victim as robust, saying that the first time he saw a doctor was when he was in his early 80s. He and his wife apparently had no children and had lived in the building since 1969, Werner said.

"He was a fine gentleman, very dependable," Werner said. "It's very sad."

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