One dead in Burien house fire Tuesday morning; King County Major Crimes Unit investigating

A two-story house fire on SW 124th Street in Burien early Tuesday morning, Dec. 31, 2024 has tragically claimed one life and is now under investigation by the King County Major Crimes Unit.

The fire, described as “fully involved” upon firefighters’ arrival, required an exterior attack due to its intensity.

Emergency crews from King 2 Fire in Burien, Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority, Skyway Fire District #20, and King County Medic One responded to the blaze after being dispatched at 2:04 a.m. They arrived on the scene at 2:10 a.m., but the advanced fire conditions, coupled with a heavy fuel load inside the home, made interior firefighting impossible.

“Fire conditions on arrival were so advanced that interior firefighting was not an option and the fire had to be attacked from the exterior of the home,” King County Fire District No. 2 Assistant Chief and Fire Marshal Ray Desmarais told The B-Town Blog.

After the fire was extinguished and the structure was deemed safe, crews discovered the body of a victim inside the residence.

The home was not equipped with sprinklers, a factor that contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

The cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the fatality remain under investigation, with assistance from the King County Fire Investigation Unit.

Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact the King County Sheriff’s Office at (206) 296-3311.

Further details will be released as the investigation progresses.