Horace Sykes, an insurance adjuster by profession, recorded this in line with his work - perhaps. Again, he does not identify the subject, and the first hope that it might be Ballard, does not - for this moment, at least - seem likely. (Click to Enlarge)
That looks like an Everett Fire Department Kenworth Pumper in the left foreground. Everett had four Kenworth fire engines. The first two, delivered in 1940, had a large, chrome plated spot light on the officers side as seen here. None of the many Seattle Kenworths had this spot light. The Everett engine is pumping a 2 1/2 inch hand line to the fire. The second, smaller fire engine may be from the Lowell Volunteer Fire Department. We appear to be looking north at the Eclipse Mill from about 33rd Street. That would put the sun in the west in the afternoon with the breeze off of Port Gardner Bay pushing the smoke east over the Snohomish River. Given the smoke color and lack of visible flame something more than wood is burning. Tar paper? The steam locomotive may be a Northern Pacific Class L-9 0-6-0 switcher.
That looks like an Everett Fire Department Kenworth Pumper in the left foreground. Everett had four Kenworth fire engines. The first two, delivered in 1940, had a large, chrome plated spot light on the officers side as seen here. None of the many Seattle Kenworths had this spot light. The Everett engine is pumping a 2 1/2 inch hand line to the fire. The second, smaller fire engine may be from the Lowell Volunteer Fire Department. We appear to be looking north at the Eclipse Mill from about 33rd Street. That would put the sun in the west in the afternoon with the breeze off of Port Gardner Bay pushing the smoke east over the Snohomish River. Given the smoke color and lack of visible flame something more than wood is burning. Tar paper? The steam locomotive may be a Northern Pacific Class L-9 0-6-0 switcher.