The 9th and Madison building burned — again — Monday monring (Image: Seattle Fire)

A First Hill building emptied of residents and popular lounge Vito’s and troubled by squatters and trespassers since a major fire two years ago, burned again New Year’s Day, nearly completely charring the abandoned structure and forcing the displacement of residents in a neighboring apartment building.

Seattle Fire says the overnight January 1st Madison Apartments building fire at 9th and Madison required a three-alarm response and left the structure too unstable to complete a search for any possible victims.

According to city records, the building owned by developer Southport Financial Services had been in violation of the city’s Vacant Building Monitoring program and subject to an emergency order to correct safety issues in October.
“Several individuals were able to self evacuate from the basement and one person was observed through a window on the second floor of the structure, but fire crews were unable to to locate him,” SFD reported, adding that the person may have been able to flee the flames on their own.

900 block of 9th Ave.: response upgraded to a 3-alarm to bring in additional units. Firefighters are working on protecting nearby exposure buildings. pic.twitter.com/5R3ExyPUPF

— Seattle Fire Dept. (@SeattleFire) January 1, 2024

The fire department says the massive fire spread to the roof, void space and top floor of an attached apartment building next door on 9th Avenue, “displacing all residents in that structure due to fire and water damage.” The American Red Cross was requested to assist displaced residents, Seattle Fire says.

No injuries were reported in the blaze first reported just before 5 AM. An investigation was underway to determine the cause.

SFD reports another nearby apartment building on the block was evacuated as a precaution during the multiple hour response and residents in an adjacent 11-story apartment building were advised to evacuate due to the heavy smoke. Residents were able to re-enter those structures once the Madison Apartments fire was under control.

The Madison Apartments building once home to popular club Vito’s and dozens of residents has been vacant since a June 2022 fire that did significant damage in the building and seriously injured three people. That November, a permit was issued for “emergency repairs to remove, stabilize, and replace fire-damaged portions of multi-family building” but the work was never completed as Vito’s ownership said that issues around insurance were holding up the efforts.

This fall, two weeks after the notice was issued by the city over violations at the property, paperwork was filed for a full demolition of the more than 120-year-old building.

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