The Defenders of Greenwood tested out the new truck bay at the newly-built Fire Station 21 on the corner of Greenwood Avenue North and North 73rd Street today.

Fire Department Spokesman Kyle Moore tells us that the firefighters will officially move into the new station the first week of November.

Thanks to Mike Veitenhans for the photo!

A large contingent of firefighters quickly doused a fire in the basement of a house at 550 N. 71st St. in Seattle’s Phinney Ridge neighborhood Sunday afternoon.

The fire was called in shortly before 5 p.m. The home’s occupants were not home at the time, but they did come running around the corner at about 5:35 p.m., and were relieved when firefighters told them their dog was safe at a neighbor’s house. They told firefighters they also had a cat, but they didn’t know if it was inside at the time of the fire.

Doree, who is at the scene, sent this picture:

Workers are installing temporary housing today for the Defenders of Greenwood who will soon move five blocks south to the lot at 6802 Greenwood Ave. N. while Station 21 is torn down and rebuilt.

As previously reported, the firefighters are moving from the corner of North 73rd Street and Greenwood Avenue North to the temporary station while their current station is demolished and rebuilt.

The new two-story Station 21 will have 8,576 square feet of space, including larger living quarters and offices for the firefighters, as well as more room for equipment. The city purchased a small piece of property east of the old station to make room for the new building.