Large fire follows explosions in Renton Highlands

A five-story apartment building that was under construction in the Renton Highlands went up in flames in spectacular fashion Tuesday — with the plume of smoke visible as far away as Tacoma.

And in the chaos that followed, a Renton police officer who was directing traffic was hit by at least one vehicle, receiving injuries that were not life-threatening.

City of Renton spokesman Kelley Balcomb-Bartok said the blaze began just before 8 p.m. at the Harrington Square apartments at 950 Harrington Ave. N.E.

Firefighters were quickly on the scene but were unable to contain the fire. Flames were soon shooting 50 feet or more above the top of the building, which was unoccupied.

The fire appeared to have started on the fifth floor, Balcomb-Bartok said, making it difficult to fight. Winds of 10 to 15 miles an hour pushed the flames quickly through the building. A small, older commercial building next to the apartment complex was also destroyed. However, a second apartment building, part of the Harrington Square complex, survived the blaze.

About 100 semi-completed apartments were destroyed in the fire. As people stood watching the blaze, some also witnessed an accident.

Kathy Sites, a cook at the nearby No Bull Saloon, said she was standing outside when a truck came barreling along Sunset Boulevard Northeast. It hit a car and then careened into an officer, who was directing traffic away from the fire.

"It threw the officer up on to the hood of the vehicle," Sites said. "And then he was thrown over into the lanes going in the opposite direction," where he may have been hit again by another car.

Sites said the driver was apprehended immediately by other officers.

"The good news is that the officer is going to be fine," said Balcomb-Bartok, who added that the officer was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Balcomb-Bartok said it's too early to determine what caused the fire, or if there were any suspicious circumstances.

A number of nearby residents heard explosions soon after the blaze started.

"I live about three blocks away, and I heard the explosion. It was a big boom," said resident Dave Levin. "My girlfriend said, 'That's too big to be fireworks.' "

Balcomb-Bartok said the explosions may have been caused by building materials left on site.

A neighbor who lives across the street said workers had been sealing a roof earlier in the day. He said he suspects propane tanks may have caused the explosion.

About 80 firefighters from as far away as Redmond and Kent arrived to help out. A top priority was to stop the fire from spreading.

"We became concerned about the homes to the south," said Renton Fire Chief David Daniels. He said embers were blowing toward about a dozen homes, which were evacuated. But aside from some trees that burned, nothing else caught fire.

Firefighters continued to douse hot spots late Tuesday but said the blaze was under control.

Both Harrington Square apartment buildings were to open within six or seven months.

On a Web site, the developer describes the apartments as boasting elegant, luxury features, including private balconies and spalike bathrooms. The ground floor was set aside for businesses.

Kent Fire Department spokesman Capt. Kyle Ohashi said the smaller building that was destroyed was vacant after some previous businesses had moved out.

Nick Perry: 206-515-5639 or nperry@seattletimes.com

Charles E. Brown: 206-464-2206 or cbrown@seattletimes.com