Fire on roof of McMenamins Elks Temple in Tacoma offers late-night weekend drama
No more cozy fireplace scenes at the Tacoma McMenamins Elks Temple, at least for now.
That’s the word from Tacoma Fire Department after crews were sent to extinguish flames visible Friday night atop the building, the result of a brief chimney fire.
Pulse Point records posted online showed the incident was reported to emergency responders at 9:42 p.m., and the incident was reported “closed” a little more than a half-hour later.
Bystanders posted a video and photo online of billowing smoke and flames seen on the roof concentrated in one location.
Joe Meinecke, public information officer for Tacoma Fire Department, told The News Tribune via email Monday afternoon that when crews arrived to the scene Friday night, they reported seeing flames and smoke from the roof.
“Crews made access to the roof and reported the fire was out by the time they got to the chimney area. (approximately 9:50 p.m.),” he added.
He noted that thermal imaging cameras confirmed the fire “had not spread from the chimney pipe to the structure. They instructed the business to extinguish the fireplaces (they have two) and not use them until the chimneys had been professionally cleaned.”
An Elks employee who answered the site’s main phone line Monday described the fire to The News Tribune as a “minimal situation,” and that “everything was handled in a few minutes.”
He confirmed the business was operating as usual on Monday and referred further questions to McMenamins corporate office.
Media representatives for McMenamins did not immediately respond to emails or voicemails Monday from The News Tribune seeking further information.
Story updated Monday afternoon with additional detail from Tacoma Fire Department.
This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 11:27 AM.
