Firefighters in Lakewood respond to commercial building fire
Firefighters in Lakewood responded to the scene of a large commercial building fire Wednesday morning. A city spokesperson said it isn’t the first time fire crews have been called to the long-vacant property.
Crews from West Pierce Fire & Rescue were dispatched about 7:20 a.m. to the fire in the 9600 block of Gravelly Lake Drive Southwest. Fire crews asked people to avoid the area. No injuries have been reported.
By about 8:50 a.m. the smoke and flames had weakened, but fire crews were still pouring water on the building and working to get the blaze under control, West Pierce Fire & Rescue spokesperson Jenny Weekes said. She said it was too dangerous for firefighters to enter the building.
Fire crews had the fire under control by about 9:15 a.m. Weekes said that based on photos from the scene, she expected the building to be a total loss.
City of Lakewood spokesperson Jim Kopriva said the property is known to the city. Fire crews were called there as recently as Friday to put out a small fire. Weekes said the property has been vacant for years.
Kopriva said an abatement hearing between the property owners and the city was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon regarding a notice and complaint posted on the property Nov. 1.
Power was not on at the building when the fire started. Kopriva said the property owner recently contacted Lakeview Light & Power to have power turned back on at the property, but the building inspector didn’t allow power to be restored.
“Had that power been turned on, this could be a much worse situation than what we’re looking at today,” Kopriva said. “The intervention may have saved lives. It certainly saved some property.”
Gravelly Lake Drive was closed from Lake Grove Street Southwest to Mt Tacoma Drive Southwest while crews responded to the blaze. Police said the roads could be closed for several hours.
The cause of the fire is not yet known. A fire investigator from West Pierce Fire & Rescue was on the scene.
This story was originally published December 15, 2021 at 7:59 AM with the headline "Firefighters in Lakewood respond to commercial building fire."
