Five Islanders displaced following two-alarm residential blaze

Published 1:30 pm Thursday, July 2, 2026

Five Mercer Islanders were displaced following a non-injury, two-alarm blaze in the early morning of July 1 at a multiple-story residence in the 8200 block of Southeast 82nd Street.

According to Eastside Fire & Rescue (EF&R) Public Information Officer Catherine Imboden, more than 30 nearby residents called 911 at approximately 1 a.m. after hearing an explosion. Some callers reported fire spreading to grass and fences nearby.

EF&R and Bellevue Fire Department crews were dispatched to the scene, arrived to a fully involved fire and “immediately went into a defensive firefight,” Imboden said.

Crews faced access issues due to the terrain around the house and the fire’s intensity, and EF&R struck the second alarm to help protect surrounding structures and extinguish spot fires, Imboden added.

The five displaced people were connected with the Red Cross for services. Two dogs were initially missing and Imboden believes that one has been recovered.

The King County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the fire.