Small fire on Phinney Ave. draws crowd

Update: The battallion chief on scene told me it was a mattress fire that was extinguished fairly quickly by firefighters, but the smoke and water caused extensive damage to the apartment. Six fire departments responded to the eight-apartment building, just south of Mae’s Phinney Ridge Cafe. One resident was standing on the sidewalk in his bathrobe, but no one was injured. – Doree
Firefighters extinguished a small fire in a three-story structure at 6408 Phinney Ave. just after 8 p.m.
A couple dozen people watched all the activity from the sidewalk. Some were getting their hair cut at Rudy’s right across the street when the fire broke out. There’s no word on what started it.

Police shut down Phinney Ave. in both directions, complicating matters for some folks who were looking for parking to attend the PNA’s winter beer taste, just two blocks away from the fire.