One person was flown to Harborview Medical Center after a fire was reported at a business on 427 Roosevelt Avenue this afternoon, said a King County Fire District No. 28 official.
The fire was reported at 1:40 p.m. at , which is located in suite B of the two-suite building, said fire Capt. Randy Fehr.
The injured man was believed to be working inside the shop and sustained second- and third-degree burns to his legs, hands and face, Fehr said.
Damage to the business was "pretty extensive," he said. is located in suite A and also sustained some damages.
Fire was at the scene by 1:44 p.m. along with assistance provided by Buckley Fire as well as King County Fire District No. 44, Fehr said. There were 18 firefighters battling the blaze.
Jin Im, working at Crystal Cleaners next door, reported seeing black smoke and later, white smoke coming from the auto upholstery shop. The exterior of the building appeared intact and Im said he wasn't aware there was a fire until firefighters arrived.
Im said he doesn't have much interaction with the shop owner; Fehr said it was the owner who was injured. A Harborview Medical Center nursing supervisor reported tonight that Richard Shumay remained in serious condition.
No other injuries or structural damages were reported.
Fehr said Shumay had a lot of petroleum-based products around that "once you apply heat to it, it has the same properties as gasoline. It burns really hot and really fast."
It was confirmed Tuesday evening that the fire was accidental and was a result of a space heater being located too close to combustibles, he said
