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Apartment fire in Tacoma burns units on Thanksgiving, displaces 22 residents

A fire broke out in a building in a South Tacoma apartment complex Thanksgiving night, forcing more than 20 people from their homes, according to Tacoma Fire Department.

The fire was reported at about 8:26 p.m. Thursday at the Lodge at Madrona Apartments in the 3200 block of South Mason Avenue. Fire crews found flames and smoke bursting from second- and third-floor decks of a 12-unit building.

Many residents were not home at the time of the blaze, according to a tweet from the fire department. Twenty-two people were displaced and six were receiving assistance from the Red Cross. Assistant chief of EMS Mary Hallman said no firefighters or residents were injured, but four cats and one dog died in the fire.

Hallman said most of the units were left unscathed, but the fire spread to the attic of the building and damaged the roof. She said the roof damage is why residents couldn’t stay. Several units were burned, and there was smoke damage throughout the building.

It’s unknown what caused the fire. It was extinguished before 9:10 p.m. Crews said a fire investigator was called to the scene.

A fire broke out Thursday night at an apartment complex in South Tacoma, and fire department crews put out the flames. Officials said 22 people were displaced.
A fire broke out Thursday night at an apartment complex in South Tacoma, and fire department crews put out the flames. Officials said 22 people were displaced. Tacoma Fire Department

This story was originally published November 25, 2022 at 8:59 AM.

Peter Talbot
The News Tribune
Peter Talbot is a criminal justice reporter for The News Tribune. He started with the newspaper in 2021. Before that, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. In college, he worked as an intern at NPR in Washington, D.C. He also interned for the Oregonian and the Tampa Bay Times. Support my work with a digital subscription
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