AUGUST 2026
Madison Park Times Serving East-Central Seattle since 1983
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Madison Valley Businesses Displaced by July Fire
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By Brian Kidd
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office spaces, significant water runoff impacted the floors below. As a safety precaution during overhaul operations, utility crews with Puget Sound Energy and Seattle City Light shut off power and natural gas to the entire complex. The ground floor of the Madison Square building consists of retail storefronts, with the upper two floors designated as office space. According to Madison Valley Merchant Association Lead Annie Mauad, a few of the displaced businesses relocated. This includes The Glow Natural Health Center, which is temporarily located in the Everyday Family Medicine
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fire displaced several businesses located at the Madison Square building in the 2700 block of E. Madison St. Nearly three weeks later business owners are waiting for repairs and clearance to return to their locations. An investigation by the Seattle Fire Marshal determined that the fire was accidental and now the focus is on recovery and reopening. On Tuesday, July 14, the blaze started on the third floor of the building around 3:30 a.m. Although the fire was extinguished by 5:30 a.m. and resulted in zero injuries, the building was declared unsafe to inhabit. Damage from the blaze is estimated at $1.5 million. Seattle Fire Department Spokesperson David Cuerpo stated that department investigators ruled the fire was likely caused by overheated electrical wiring that ignited nearby combustibles. According to Cuerpo, Engine 34 arrived first on the scene at 3:33 a.m. to find flames breaching several third-floor windows. Firefighters deployed a 2.5-inch hose line to attack the exterior flames, while interior crews searched the building and Ladder 3 established vertical roof ventilation to clear smoke. Cuerpo confirmed that while direct fire damage was concentrated in third-floor
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The structure suffered extensive water damage after the third floor fire. clinic located at 2705 E. Madison St., just southwest of the Madison Square building, a few storefronts down. Lindsey Lawson, owner of Glow Natural Health, stated that besides the new temporary Madison Valley space, they expanded appointment availability at their permanent locations in Ballard and West Seattle and added another temporary location at Eastlake, inside of Seattle Integrative Oncology. “The fire in general has been devastating to our business but we are determined to rebuild and continue to serve the community,” Lawson said. “After 25 years in business, we have been through a lot and are committed to our mission.” Lawson added that the relocation process was “fast and furious” in order to maintain their usual level of operations and service. Lawson has not been given a status of the Madison Square building but stated they will continue to serve the Madison Park and Madison Valley area. Requests for comment from other building tenants, including ground-floor retail shops, were not returned prior to publication. According to Bryan Stevens, Chief of Staff for the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI), the building remains officially classified as unsafe for occupancy. Stevens confirmed that businesses are not currently permitted to re-enter to retrieve property or equipment, as the property owner has secured the building in accordance with city safety directives. “At this time, no repair or restoration permits have been issued,” Stevens said. “We have not received a response from the building owner, but they have 30 days to respond to the Hazardous Correction Order issued on July 17.”
SDCI noted that the city will not know the full extent of the structural damage until an engineering report is submitted. Before any physical repair work can begin or tenants can safely return, the property owner must submit a stamped structural engineer’s report detailing immediate stabilization needs, followed by a formal construction permit application to SDCI. Once permits are approved and work is completed, all required structural and electrical approvals must clear final city inspections before a re-occupancy permit can be granted. With the 30-day response window still running and no engineering assessment on file yet, city officials emphasized that it remains too early to establish a timeline for when merchants will be able to return to the Madison Square building.
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