Crews extinguish fire at abandoned Boeing building
Published 11:50 am Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Renton Fire Authority crews responded to reports of black smoke emitting from the abandoned Boeing building in the North Renton area on Tuesday night.
The initial report of smoke from the roof of the former Boeing 10-16 building located at 535 Garden Avenue N. was made at 7:53 p.m. July 8.
RFA Communications Manager Katie Lewis said Engine 311 was the first to arrive at the scene at 7:58 p.m. and soon requested a working fire upgrade, which resulted in additional units dispatched to help. Lewis said the crews were directed to use exclusively defensive tactics for emergency response purposes because of the condition of the building. This means the crews stay on the exterior of the building to suppress the fire.
The firefighters were aided by a Renton Police Department drone operator to see the overhead view of roof conditions and to identify the origin of the smoke near the HVAC system on the roof. The crews were able to extinguish the fire coming from the HVAC enclosure on the roof without entering the building at 9:35 p.m.
“No searches or investigations were permitted to be conducted due to the condition of the building, so we cannot confirm with certainty how the fire was started,” Lewis said.
The building has been a safety concern for the neighborhood since it was abandoned and there was fire in the building in June 2023. The building was owned by Boeing until December 2021, when it was sold to current owner, ION Renton LLC, a company based in California.
