Around 5:20 pm on April 7, 2021, there was a fire at the house adjacent to the Polish Home building from south, and unfortunately a life was lost. The elderly neighbor Michael Gross has perished and his body was found by the firefighters. He was 70 years old.

The initial investigation indicates that the fire was accidental, most likely caused by a portable space heater. There was no damage to the Polish Cultural Center building, and Gross’s cat and dog apparently saved themselves.

The Polish Home Association posted a memorial page to Michael Gross on its website.

More: Capitol Hill Seattle blog about the fire, The Seattle Times article