Puyallup Commercial Fire Cause Under Investigation

PUYALLUP, WA — Smoke still lingers over downtown Puyallup as the wreckage of the 15th street commercial fire smolders. Also lingering: unanswered questions about how exactly that fire sparked up in the first place.

Fortunately, both are expected to be cleared up soon.

Central Pierce Fire & Rescue confirmed Tuesday morning that the smoke would be hanging in the air for the next few days at the very least. Their crews remain on scene, monitoring hot spots to make sure the blaze isn't reignited. They've also begun removing spoiled food from the warehouse, which they warn may cause some unusual smells for the surrounding neighborhood, but nothing to be alarmed about.

Also on scene are special agents from ATF Seattle, who have been called in to assist Central Pierce Fire as they work to determine the cause of the blaze. The fire agency has not hinted at any of its suspicions, but ATF's Certified Fire Investigators are agents who specialize in arson-related crimes — meaning the possibility that this fire was intentionally set may be under consideration.

The fire was first reported just after 5 a.m. Saturday, when a passerby called 911 after smelling smoke coming from a cold storage building on 15th St. E. That storage building contained thousand pounds of anhydrous ammonia used for refrigeration — which created a toxic smoke as it was set ablaze. When the fire kicked up, firefighters and police quickly realized the danger and ordered a 1.1 mile radius circle of downtown to evacuate surrounding the building Saturday.

Once the area was secure, firefighters say they allowed the blaze to burn hot, pushing the toxic smoke up and away.

The evacuation was lifted late Saturday but replaced with a shelter-in-place order for residents within the zone. That advisory has also since expired.

Central Pierce Fire & Rescue crews have remained on scene in the days since, tearing down parts of the ruined facility and mopping up hot spots. Nearby roads have also been closed intermittently as they work.

The monetary cost of the fire is still unknown, but more importantly there have been no reports of injuries related to the blaze.