Seattle 's first buildings were wooden . On June 6 , 1889 , at 2:39 p.m. , a cabinetmaker ( Jonathan Edward Back ) , accidentally overturned and ignited a glue pot . An attempt to extinguish it with water spread the burning grease-based glue . The fire chief was out of town , and although the volunteer fire department responded , they made the mistake of trying to use too many hoses at once . With the subsequent drop in water pressure , none of the hoses were effective , and the Great Seattle Fire destroyed 31 blocks
Great Seattle Fire
Great Seattle Fire
Seattle Underground