A woman was seriously injured in fire at an Edmonds motel today.

Dispatchers received multiple 911 calls at 11:53 a.m. reporting the fire at the St. Frances Motel in the 23900 block of Highway 99. Responding firefighters could see a large column of black smoke as they approached and arrived to find one motel unit engulfed in flames.

The injured woman escaped from the burning unit before firefighters arrived. She was transported by medics to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

One South County Fire firefighter sustained minor injuries while fighting the fire and was transported to Swedish/Edmonds Hospital for evaluation.

Crews from South County Fire and Shoreline Fire responded. At the peak of the fire, 38 firefighters, seven fire engines, three ladder trucks and five medic units were on scene. The firefighters had the fire under control in about 10 minutes and kept the flames contained to one unit near the middle of the single-story building. The fire breached the attic space above the unit and firefighters had to cut a hole in the roof to ventilate smoke and heat. Damage is estimated at $200,000.

Support 7 and Red Cross responded to assist at least 10 residents displaced by the fire. All residents of the fire-damaged building will be displaced tonight, but may be able to return when power and the fire protection system are restored.

South County Fire investigators have not determined how the fire started, but noted it appeared to be accidental.

Highway 99 was shut down north and south between 238th and 240th while crews responded to the fire.