EF&R units extinguish two-alarm Mercer Island house blaze

Published 4:30 pm Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Numerous units from Eastside Fire & Rescue (EF&R) and adjacent cities responded to and extinguished a two-alarm Mercer Island residential structure blaze on the evening of April 14.

The fire originated in the garage and spread to the house in the 2400 block of 72nd Avenue Southeast, according to EF&R Public Information Officer Catherine Imboden.

All residents immediately evacuated the home and no one was injured. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The first call came in to 911 dispatch at 6:47 p.m. and noted that a vehicle was on fire in the garage and then the house was burning. Several other calls followed from neighbors who witnessed the flames.

After dispatch took the information and relayed it to EF&R, firefighters suited up and Mercer Island’s Battalion 91 unit was the first on scene at 6:54 p.m.

Imboden said the fire was under control at 7:26 p.m. A robust crew of seven engines, three battalion chiefs, three ladder trucks, an air unit, a medical services officer, two medic units and two aid cars were all on scene. Along with EF&R Mercer Island units, there were other EF&R responders and some from Bellevue and Redmond.

“They were able to actually get in there and extinguish it pretty quick,” Imboden said. “After the knockdown on the fire, they said there was no obvious hot spots in the remainder of the garage or in the rafters, so they were able to get in there and pull some ceiling. They did their hot wash before an hour.”