Fire in Factoria storage unit speads to car

A stubborn car fire at a Factoria self-storage facility in the 13200 block of S.E. 30th St. kept Bellevue firefighters busy Friday morning. The fire originated from one of the units where a man was apparently servicing some equipment around 11 a.m. The first fire crew was able to quickly extinguish the storage unit fire, but a nearby car developed a gas tank leak that resisted extinguishment for several more minutes.

A stubborn car fire at a Factoria self-storage facility in the 13200 block of S.E. 30th St. kept Bellevue firefighters busy Friday morning. The fire originated from one of the units where a man was apparently servicing some equipment around 11 a.m. The first fire crew was able to quickly extinguish the storage unit fire, but a nearby car developed a gas tank leak that resisted extinguishment for several more minutes.

Security tapes from the facility will assist in the investigation. Despite the stop-action intervals, the tapes show a fireball about 15 feet tall coming from the unit. They also show the man running away with some of his clothes on fire. Paramedics evaluated the man at the scene and transported him to Harborview medical center. The extent of his burn injuries is unknown.

A total of two fire engines and two ladder trucks responded to the fire. Also on scene was a command vehicle, a medical officer and a medic unit. There were no injuries to fire crews.

A Bellevue Fire investigator arrived on scene but the exact cause is still under investigation. Preliminary damage estimate to the structure is less than $15,000. The content damage was limited to one unit and has not been determined yet. The car appears to be totaled.