{"id":4589,"date":"2016-08-17T17:00:14","date_gmt":"2016-08-18T00:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spiken.wpengine.com\/news\/brush-fire-near-south-216th-street-slows-i-5-southbound-traffic\/"},"modified":"2016-10-22T04:25:28","modified_gmt":"2016-10-22T11:25:28","slug":"brush-fire-near-south-216th-street-slows-i-5-southbound-traffic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/news\/brush-fire-near-south-216th-street-slows-i-5-southbound-traffic\/","title":{"rendered":"Brush fire near South 216th Street slows I-5 southbound traffic"},"content":{"rendered":"
For the Reporter<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Traffic<\/span> came<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> halt<\/span> late<\/span> Wednesday<\/span> afternoon<\/span> along<\/span> Interstate<\/span> 5<\/span> southbound<\/span> near<\/span> South<\/span> 216th<\/span> Street<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Des<\/span> Moines\/SeaTac<\/span> area<\/span> because<\/span> of<\/span> burning<\/span> brush<\/span> and<\/span> trees<\/span> just<\/span> west<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> freeway.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Vehicles<\/span> backed<\/span> up<\/span> starting<\/span> near<\/span> the<\/span> I-405<\/span> interchange<\/span> in<\/span> Tukwila<\/span> near<\/span> the<\/span> Southcenter<\/span> Mall<\/span> around<\/span> 5<\/span> p.m.<\/span> as<\/span> firefighters<\/span> contained<\/span> and<\/span> doused<\/span> the<\/span> fire.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Area<\/span> crews<\/span> were<\/span> dispatched<\/span> at<\/span> 4:21<\/span> p.m.<\/span> after<\/span> Department<\/span> of<\/span> Transportation<\/span> cameras<\/span> spotted<\/span> it.<\/span> As<\/span> the<\/span> fire<\/span> moved<\/span> up<\/span> the<\/span> hillside<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> west<\/span> side<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> freeway,<\/span> it<\/span> began<\/span> to<\/span> approach<\/span> homes,<\/span> an<\/span> apartment<\/span> complex<\/span> and<\/span> several<\/span> large<\/span> water<\/span> towers.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Fire<\/span> crews<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> Kent<\/span> Regional<\/span> Fire<\/span> Authority<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> departments<\/span> worked<\/span> quickly<\/span> to<\/span> fight<\/span> the<\/span> fire<\/span> both<\/span> along<\/span> the<\/span> freeway<\/span> and<\/span> above<\/span> to<\/span> protect<\/span> the<\/span> homes<\/span> and<\/span> property<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> top<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> hill.<\/span> No<\/span> homes<\/span> were<\/span> damaged,<\/span> though<\/span> the<\/span> dry<\/span> grass<\/span> around<\/span> the<\/span> water<\/span> towers<\/span> was<\/span> burned,<\/span> officials<\/span> reported.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Access<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> fire<\/span> was<\/span> hampered<\/span> by<\/span> chain<\/span> link<\/span> fences<\/span> protecting<\/span> the<\/span> DOT<\/span> right<\/span> of<\/span> way<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> water<\/span> department.<\/span> The<\/span> potentially<\/span> affected<\/span> homes<\/span> were<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> city<\/span> of<\/span> SeaTac.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Because<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> amount<\/span> of<\/span> water<\/span> used<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> fire<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> number<\/span> of<\/span> old<\/span> cigarette<\/span> butts<\/span> along<\/span> the<\/span> freeway,<\/span> it<\/span> is<\/span> unlikely<\/span> that<\/span> a<\/span> cause<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> fire<\/span> will<\/span> be<\/span> discovered.<\/span> If<\/span> anyone<\/span> witnessed<\/span> anything<\/span> that<\/span> will<\/span> help<\/span> investigators<\/span> determine<\/span> a<\/span> cause,<\/span> they<\/span> are<\/span> asked<\/span> to<\/span> call<\/span> 911<\/span> with<\/span> that<\/span> information.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n A<\/span> total<\/span> of<\/span> eight<\/span> fire<\/span> engines,<\/span> including<\/span> a<\/span> crash<\/span> truck<\/span> from<\/span> Boeing,<\/span> three<\/span> chief<\/span> officers,<\/span>