*Huge* Seattle Fire response: E18 L8 E21 B6 M31 L9 A86 M44 Saft2 Dep1 Staf10 E20 Rehab1 L10 E9

I was still in bed at 8:03 this morning (April 2) when my PulsePoint app went off. I saw where the call was, threw on some clothes, started recording the traffic camera on my laptop, then jogged up to 15th Ave where I just missed Battalion 4 arriving, but managed to catch Engine 18 pulling up just as a tree behind the building burst into flames.
I got lots of great responses, with just a few snaffus. My camera died as Aid 86 was pulling up, and was slightly out of focus for the next shot. A few of the units went around the block, so I missed getting a good shot of Ladder 10; I was also pretty disappointed that Aid 260 arrived without lights/siren.
Overall, though, can't complain about getting this many catches on a Saturday morning. No fire details released yet, although a homeless woman on scene told me the fire had likely been started by people stealing copper wire inside the (derelict) building. This is a row of abandoned buildings in Crown Hill (north Seattle); the fire was inside a closed bar called Goofy's. No injuries reported.
So, I obviously need a new camera, and now that I have a proper job again I can afford one. Any video camera suggestions, or models to avoid?
Clip listing:
0:00 - E18 arriving, while tree bursts into flames
0:41 - L8 arriving
1:12 - E21 and B6 arriving
1:49 - M31 arriving
1:59 - Brief shot of fire building
2:07 - L9 arriving with A86
2:26 - SPD, M44 and Saft2 arriving
3:05 - Dep1 and Staf10 arriving
3:40 - On-scene footage
4:14 - E20 arriving
4:44 - Rehab1 arriving
5:03 - L10 and E9 arriving
5:51 - Parking patrol arriving, and Seattle City Light cutting off power
6:25 - Air 260 arriving
7:06 - On-scene footage, and a few photos
7:50 - Outro
Outro music: Demilitarized Zone by Ethan Meixsell, via the KZbin audio library.

[@joegaito702]

The paramedics and firemen deserve a lot of credit your service and time and efforts are deeply appreciated thanks don't work to hard job well done you should be proud terrific catch as usual way to go great looking tiller trucks and fire engines like the style I guess all the units are responding ! Joe

[@terryyip8121]

Bob, I just happened upon this video you shot and found your youtube page. Some very nice stuff you've captured. Always liked Seattle's apparatus and this video sure has a nice variety of their trucks and engines. Thanks for posting it!

[@lucaslaughing]

Thanks for watching Terry! (I'm Lucas, not Bob though 🙂)

[@joegaito702]

Terrific catch as usual by the Seattle fd your service and time and efforts are deeply appreciated thanks to everyone who responds keep them safe out there job well done you should be proud love respect and appreciate you guys thanks great looking tiller truck and fire engines like the style way to go ! Joe

[@JMarieCAlove]

I just saw this same fire but from a farther away angle from Seattle Traffic Cams channel. I like that you’re much close to the scene. Just be safe how close you get to recording any action around the action is. 😊

[@lucaslaughing]

Thanks! I'm definitely cautious when I'm on the scene - both for my own safety and to make sure I don't interfere with firefighting efforts. I also run the Traffic Cams channel - I started recording the traffic cam before I ran out the door to tape this one in person 😀

[@seattlearearesponses]

Amazing shots! Thanks for the new vid.

[@lucaslaughing]

Thanks for watching!!

[@FirePhoenixEmergencyVideos]

Another big score for you Lucas! And leave it up to Seattle FD to put on a show when responding to calls like this! Great filming and editing work here! Re: cameras, I currently use a Canon Powershot SX620 (which, funny enough, I bought specifically to trial on my Seattle trip back in 2018). The stabilization and focus can be a little weak though, and the zooming in/out is painstakingly slow while also making a sound that will be audible in the filmed video. But it is a cheap, decent entry-level option while also portable and easy to take around. I'm also seeking to upgrade so if you do end up finding something better, let me know too!

[@lucaslaughing]

Thanks so much for watching, and for the camera info! I'm still in the research stage, so I'll let you know what I end up going with. I tend to zoom a lot (too much?), so maybe a camera with slow/loud zoom will help me break that habit?

[@susanallen1100]

Loved seeing that tiller pull up. Thank you. Great footage of a response only.

[@johnbratley6926]

From the limited information I gleaned from your blog the SFD response seemed excessive, certainly double what we would mobilise in the UK.

[@samcampbell1351]

Niiiiiiiiiiiiice!!! Great job once again Lucas!

[@lucaslaughing]

Thanks Sam, I appreciate it!!

[@glennjohnston2267]

Pretty cool looking paint schemes on your units.

[@lucaslaughing]

I agree, the Seattle units look great - thanks for watching!

[@birdsrule8608]

That’s crazy I passed that area today in the morning and saw the parking enforcement, a police car, and a fire truck. I also saw a lot of the transit supervisorsfor some reason.I also saw foam on the ground. I guess I passed by when they were about done.

[@lucaslaughing]

Yeah, you must have just missed me (and the fire). Better luck (?) next time! 😀

[@AzPoolguy]

@@lucaslaughing, quick ? Does Seattle rigs use C.A.F. Compressed Air Foam systems on their engines? Just curious.

[@davidweston6653]

I’ve noticed in watching Seattle videos that there seems like a flotilla of command and staff vehicles responding. I know it depends on the response and other factors but with Seattle valet parking seems almost necessary. Nice coverage by the way

[@lucaslaughing]

Lol, yeah, they do roll heavy with the command units - thanks for watching!

[@Suchtrupp_in_Space]

Impressed by the state of the art fire apparatus, shocked by the antediluvian power supply infrastructure...

[@lucaslaughing]

Sure, the power poles may look rough, but it's not like they just collapse during minor windstorms or ... wait - www.kiro7.com/news/local/city-light-going-back-drawing-board-after-second-set-power-poles-collapses/D5NKGSS2PFDS5NJBUHRZBEED24/ Thanks for watching! 😀

[@gooddayevery1]

I have seen worse in a bigger city. Not like these are supplying factories the fire equipment is awesome 👍 stay safe everyone

[@mrdayyumyum3712]

Looks like C.H.A.O.S. Chief has arrived on scene.

[@WangBaiTe]

I've watched a lot of these firefighter video's and what is always surprising me is the high number of firefighters hanging around. Here in Belgium a standard crew for such a fire would be maximum 6-12 people (1 engine, 1 ladder, 1 signals truck and 1 firechief) and they would call in extra if needed (truck per truck) but never the high number always being called in in the U.S. Why this huge difference?

[@trvman1]

Watch NY City firefighter videos and you will see 50 of them standing around at larger fires. Thats what a powerful UNION can do to a city. Watch videos of other cities and you will see them fight a fire of the same size with 1/2 the manpower and still get the job done and you won't see dozens of people standing around.

[@Grounded75]

It is easy to criticize sitting behind a screen but it is much more challenging to fight fires in real life. Seattle has the resources available to be able to cover additional calls at the same time putting massive resources on a fire. Why? More people means a greater ability to rotate out firefighters so they can rehab faster. An alert firefighter is less likely to make mistakes and be injured or killed. They also put more resources on a fire in case there is extension into exposures so they can put people on it or better yet protect the exposures so that there isn't extension. That's just a small part of the reason but another very real reason is decades of experience that helps them make the best decisions based on experience and knowing what works.

[@AzPoolguy]

This is not the norm for all departments in the U.S. Seattle like many large municipalities have the luxury of flooding the incident with resources. Most get turned around once the incident is well under control.

[@jimmccabe801]

Back up crews. By the time you need backup its to late for call. Would you rather have to many or not enough.

[@sanddabz5635]

@@Grounded75 I don't think WangBaiTe was criticizing anyone from my perspective, but simply making an observation.

[@jeffturkel3344]

Great catch

[@lucaslaughing]

Thanks Jeff!

[@LiamPattisonPhotography]

I use the Canon Vixia HF R800, and I find it to be a pretty decent camera for responses. I wouldn't use it for photos or any professional work, but definitely a good, quick and easy camera for responses. It fits in your cup holder of your vehicle for quick deployment! Before my R800 model I had an earlier model (can't remember the name) and it was good too. Neither have been the best in low light though. I find it focuses on the brightest stuff, then exposes for that, if that makes sense? If you're filming fire at night the fire itself is well exposed but everything else is black. Or filming trucks late at night the lights are well exposed but the truck is dark etc. Overall they're decent little response cameras though. Nice catches by the way! Always cool to get shots of units rolling up to fires.

[@lucaslaughing]

Thanks Liam! I'll look into the Vixia for sure. Right now I just use my phone for night responses because it does better than my current camera, so that's not necessarily a deal-breaker.

[@HutchinsonFirefighter179]

Great video Lucas

[@lucaslaughing]

Thank you!

[@keithnichols7926]

Was there a fire somewhere around there?

[@Xtinnoker]

Awesome film Lucas…

[@lucaslaughing]

Thanks Larry!

[@petewilliamsiv3512]

my Pager woke me up for this now i wish i did come to this and Greats Shots

[@lucaslaughing]

Thanks Pete! That would have been a long trip for you - maybe next time!

[@petewilliamsiv3512]

@@lucaslaughing lol yea it would be but it would start my day right with a fire then go on 3 medical calls later on with engine 37 it would be a great day for this Rehab / Aid car

[@juliecasey5196]

Great footage

[@lucaslaughing]

Thanks Julie! (Sorry for the late reply)

[@golfingbuddy1]

How many frigin truck do you need on a knock down?

[@pnwresponses47]

great vid!!

[@lucaslaughing]

Thank you!

[@jameskelly1262]

I thought I saw you filming from a distance. Next time I will come by and introduce myself.

[@lucaslaughing]

Please do - I always enjoy meeting people when I'm out! 🙂

[@cdmartin194]

Awesome video and same great catches! Fantastic job

[@lucaslaughing]

Thank you very much!

[@johnmartin3413]

What a catch

[@wandtvdougwolfe1]

Hmmmmm- Structures with a big fence around it? How did that fire 🔥 start. Coincidence? 🤨

[@stueyexmcfd]

Nice work

[@lucaslaughing]

Thanks!

[@FirePoAm]

Poor your camera. Was anybody hurt?

[@lucaslaughing]

Thankfully, no one was hurt. Thanks for watching!

[@dennis4679]

Does each fireman have their own little red suv or is there just that many officers?

[@SeattleResponses]

SUVs are command cars.

[@johnmartin3413]

Do you have a smartphone you can use your phone for these types of videos

[@lucaslaughing]

I do use my phone for night responses, or if I'm running out the door for a catch. I like having the option to zoom with my camera though. Thanks for watching!

[@unionpacificrailroadcrossi9336]

Do you know how the tree caught fire?

[@lucaslaughing]

I'm assuming just flames / heat coming off the back of the fire building. Thanks for watching!

[@stueyexmcfd]

What's Staff10 do?

[@lucaslaughing]

They help with incident command, and keep track of where all the different crews are. There's a picture of them on scene here: flic.kr/p/2ndskMy

[@leephillips2837]

awesome

[@lucaslaughing]

Thanks!

[@glynchallinor1874]

Why so many SUVs?

[@franklewis6943]

Seems to be a rather fire-prone area. Didn't you shoot this video ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmfXkHl6opd0odU ) literally a block up the street, Lucas?

[@lucaslaughing]

It's a pretty dense, populated area so that probably has something to do with it. I'm not sure it's more fire-prone than other parts of the city, though - I think it's just that I'm able to film fires in this area since I live nearby, so there ends up being a lot of them on my channel. Thanks for watching Frank!

[@dianedeuble1835]

Where's the fire?all I see is vehicles

[@SaltySeattleCyclist]

Daaamn!! 😱

[@lucaslaughing]

Thanks for watching!

[@SaltySeattleCyclist]

@@lucaslaughing Of course! I wish you were still posting Bad drivers of Seattle...but at least I've taken the torch on that!

[@lucaslaughing]

I just don't drive enough since the pandemic, and my new job is work from home, so I don't have that daily commute. I do have a new bad driver video I'm hoping to post in the next few weeks, but they vids are definitely much less frequent than they used to be.

[@SaltySeattleCyclist]

@@lucaslaughing Understandable! I'm a full time rideshare driver, so I get plennnty of footage 😅 Can't wait to see your new one when it's ready!

[@tomden61]

All trucks and almost no fire!

[@user-xm9jk4mc6x]

Q siren

[@mikebiker9817]

.•*★¨`• Thx for posting! .•*★¨`•

[@lucaslaughing]

No problem, thanks for watching!

[@elliottstewart8745]

Place is still closed too.

[@lucaslaughing]

Yeah, it's been closed since last November; they're tearing it down at some point to put up a massive 7-story rectangle of apartments or condos. www.seattle.gov/dpd/AppDocs/GroupMeetings/DRProposal3035843AgendaID8765.pdf

[@steve87thpsap]

Nice spotting, got some great shots. But wow how self centered are Seattle drivers, there’s like five or six ways to avoid that area.

[@tomfrederick6083]

They moved here from California.

[@lucaslaughing]

Yeah, I didn't even film the 3 cars that ignored me in the crosswalk 'cause they were too distracted by the scene. Thanks for watching!

[@dougdimmadoodahdaay7887]

we at 500 encampment fires this year aleady

[@lucaslaughing]

Yeah, it's pretty bad.

[@dougdimmadoodahdaay7887]

anotha one

[@johnwashburn7423]

Are these tiller trucks a union-mandated staffing? Is it not possible to fight fires in large cities with fewer staff?

[@jamesscott2894]

Tillers are great. They usually have longer ladder on top than other trucks (100ft vs 75 or 80, that can reach an extra level or two) plus the steerable rear wheel on the trailer means its actually more maneuverable than straight chassis quint/ladder trucks. Staffing is usually the same as other truck companies so that's not an issue.

[@wendelpfefferkorn2940]

You can probably fit a few more rigs on scene.....

[@vanessahuman7607]

Did they really need that many

[@stephensmith7502]

Lots of the extra equipment was brought in to be staged so that they can. Rotate out

[@stephensmith7502]

It's called staging they bring in extra equipment to be able to use the manpower off of the staging apparatus

[@jimmccabe801]

Can you prove they don't. Would you rather have to many or to few?

[@rdety]

Think they brought enough Equipment?..Wth?!

[@stephensmith7502]

You ever heard staging they bring in extra equipment for extra manpower

[@stueyexmcfd]

No one has real Qs there

[@51hankyspanky7]

Ridiculous. How many SUV BAT cars do you need? We have one BAT chief that covers 4 stations. Asst Chief rides the engine where he is at.

[@lucaslaughing]

Each of our BCs covers 5-9 stations, the deputy chief, safety chief and staff/ICS support cover the whole city.

[@jimmccabe801]

Who cares.

[@manjrasuhail5816]

Toronto police video Suhail Singh

[@Thug-12Na]

Those american sirens like cats fighting🤣🤣 But nice units👍🏼 just dont like the red lights should b blue

[@lucaslaughing]

Lol! Ours aren't even as high pitched as some of them. In my city, at least, blue lights are only for the police cars. Some other cities (Portland for sure) have red and blue lights on their fire vehicles.

[@Thug-12Na]

@@lucaslaughing ever saw the dutch fd?

[@craigmclean8260]

Yep, the new electronic "Q" sirens (if that's what they are) are nothing like the old-school mechanical Federal Qs--could hear those for miles around, esp. on a night fire call (used to live in Seattle). Do any of the units use the "Rumbler" (used by FDNY and other depts); it produces a low-frequency tone, which supposedly can be heard better thru closed car windows.

[@davidweston6653]

In some states, California for example blue is reserved for law enforcement

[@lucaslaughing]

@Craig - I haven't heard any rumbler sirens in Seattle (so far)