Shortly after noon on July 6, Mercer Island and Bellevue Fire Department units responded to the Mercer Apartments in downtown Mercer Island for a fire that started in one of the unit’s kitchens, and was ultimately extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system.

A fire started on a stove, activating the building’s fire alarm system and initiating the response. The fire extended into the cabinetry above, and produced a large amount of smoke that filled the unit and the adjacent hallway, on the fifth floor of the building. The activated sprinklers caused a heavy water flow into the hallway, adjacent units and through the ceiling of multiple units on the floor below.

Even though the fire was completely extinguished by the automatic sprinklers, a coordinated ventilation and salvage effort was still needed by the multiple fire units that responded. Occupants were displaced for more than two hours while the smoke and water was cleared. Nobody was allowed back into the affected areas of the building until the atmosphere was determined safe through the fire department’s air monitoring equipment.

No injuries were reported, and investigations are ongoing.