What started the fire on Temple Theatre’s roof? Tacoma Fire points to one thing
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tacoma Fire investigators say the roof fire was likely caused by an electrical failure.
- Tacoma Police found no evidence the Temple Theatre roof fire was intentionally set.
- Damage was confined to rooftop structures and some water damage on upper floors.
A fire on the roof of Tacoma’s historic Temple Theatre on Tuesday likely was caused by an electrical failure.
Chelsea Shepherd, spokesperson for Tacoma Fire, told The News Tribune that the department is finalizing its report for the building at 47 St. Helens Ave.
“We’re looking towards the possibility of it being an electrical failure of some sort up there on the roof, but we should know for sure [sometime] tonight or tomorrow,” Shepherd told The News Tribune at about 1:16 p.m. on Wednesday.
Shepherd said the fire was not suspicious, and the Tacoma Police Department also sent investigators but found no evidence of the fire being intentional.
“The building is still inhabitable,” Shepherd said. “...The only damage there is, is confined to the structures that were built on the roof. It did not burn through the roof.”
Temple Theatre has a deck built on top of the roof, Shepherd said, and a structure used in “a ballroom-event space” on the roof, which both were damaged. There is also some water damage on the fourth or fifth floor, but the rest of the building is intact.
Shepherd said crews were on scene Tuesday and then Wednesday morning to ensure they didn’t miss any important evidence, before clearing the site today.
The News Tribune reached out to the Temple Theatre to ask how the fire impacted its programming but did not receive a response.
As of 2:35 p.m. on Wednesday, the theater’s website does not contain any details about the fire.
Sunrise Play Café, which sits across the street at 204 St. Helens Ave, set up a GoFundMe for the theater on Tuesday afternoon.
“A village protects what it loves. Today, the Temple needs us. Every dollar raised goes directly toward helping offset the costs of this fire so that the Temple can recover, rebuild, and open its doors again — to all of us,” the café wrote in the fundraiser post. “This is our village. Let’s show up for it.”
As of 2:55 p.m. on Wednesday, the fundraiser had received $750 of its $7,000 goal.
What is the Temple Theatre?
The Temple Theatre was built in 1926 by Ambrose J. Russell, an architect who also built the Tacoma Armory and William Ross Rust House, according to the National Register of Historic Places.
Its design was inspired by the Egyptian revival movement that was popular at the time, The News Tribune previously reported, and opened on Oct. 18, 1927.
According to the theater’s website, it’s 15,000 square feet and seats over 1,600 people. It also contains 10 historical ballrooms.
The building hosts events like weddings, parties and concerts.
On July 9, Jinjer — a Ukrainian metalcore band — will perform at 7 p.m. An American metalcore group, Killswitch Engage, is set to perform an ages 18 and up show on Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m.
This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 3:01 PM.
