Size of Puyallup cold storage facility creates delays in fire investigation
Fire crews and federal officials continued to investigate a fire that began Saturday at a cold storage facility in Puyallup. Initially, the fire forced residents in nearby neighborhoods to evacuate.
The size of the facility at 15th Street Southeast and East Main is making it more difficult for investigators to quickly determine the origin of the fire, said Central Pierce Fire and Rescue spokesperson Capt. Darrin Shaw. He said it could be days or even weeks until the origin and cause of the fire at the more than 100,000-square-foot facility is determined.
Shaw said “tens of thousands” of pounds of food needed to be removed from the site. The building was owned by Washington Cold Storage, and according to its website, the facility provided 47,000 square feet of freezer storage, 25,000 square feet of chilled storage and 40,000 square feet of dry storage.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced on Twitter Tuesday it was sending certified fire investigators to assist Central Pierce Fire and Rescue in finding the origin and cause of the fire. Shaw said Central Pierce Fire and Rescue has three fire investigators, and the ATF regularly sends investigators to support local agencies.
Smoke and small flare-ups can be expected at the site for up to a week, Shaw said. He said the agency has still been receiving 911 calls about the fire, but he wanted to reassure residents that fire crews are still on duty at the site, and they’re aware of the situation.
Fire officials advised residents to not use 15th Street Southeast unless absolutely necessary. Other routes are open.
The blaze began around 5:20 a.m. Saturday, sending plumes of black smoke into the sky. Multiple agencies led by Central Pierce Fire and Rescue battled the fire for most of the day, mindful of potential explosions and toxic fumes from the anhydrous ammonia used at the site.
General counsel for Washington Cold Storage, Cory Borgeson, said in a statement Saturday to The News Tribune that the company had “no knowledge of how the fire started.”
This story was originally published August 24, 2021 at 12:57 PM.
