Pier 70 Fire Blamed On Cigarette; 300 Evacuated From Nightclub

A fire on Pier 70 that resulted in 300 people being evacuated from a nightclub and restaurant was caused by a cigarette that fell through the pier's wooden decking, according to Seattle Fire Department officials.

Ten engines and four trucks responded to the fire late Friday night at the Pier 70 Bay Cafe nightclub and restaurant on Alaskan Way at Broad Street.

One man suffered possible smoke inhalation and was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he was treated and released.

Fire Department spokeswoman Georgia Taylor said yesterday that damage to the restaurant is estimated at $65,000.

The alarm came in at 11:42 p.m. Friday; the fire was out by 12:24 a.m. Firefighting efforts were interrupted briefly when a train came through on the nearby tracks just after midnight, blocking the path of one firetruck. The Fire Department also sent a small boat under the pier to douse the fire.

Pier 70 manager Nora Cooke said that once her staff smelled and saw smoke in the club, they called 911 and began evacuating patrons through the front door.

Club patron Allison Walker, 21, of Olympia said the club stopped the music and announced on the sound system that "there was a fire, walk slowly to the doors and remain calm."

Walker said only a few people panicked. "It was like, the closer we got to the door, the smokier it got, and then some people started panicking and pushing," she said.

She and her friends said the smoke was visible inside the club but not thick enough to obscure vision. The club was getting hot, they said, but they were able to breathe.