Shelter in place order lifted for fire at Puyallup storage building
Aug 21, 2021, 8:30 AM | Updated: Aug 23, 2021, 11:10 am
Smoke continues to billow from a cold storage facility in downtown Puyallup on Sunday. (Central Pierce Fire & Rescue)
(Central Pierce Fire & Rescue)
A shelter in place order was lifted Sunday evening for people who live and work in downtown Puyallup. Fire crews spent a second day working on a commercial fire in a cold storage facility that started early Saturday morning.
Residents were able to return home Saturday evening after an evacuation order prompted by the fire. Police say drivers should expect road closures in the area Monday morning.
The shelter-in-place advisory has been LIFTED! Pioneer and 15th are still closed around the fire building. Unknown when they will reopen. Please plan ahead for tomorrow鈥檚 commute. Thanks again for your cooperation.
— Central Pierce Fire & Rescue (@CentralPierce)
We have multiple excavators on scene tearing the walls down, allowing access to get this fire/smoke under control.
— Central Pierce Fire & Rescue (@CentralPierce)
A passerby called 911 around 5:20 a.m. Saturday after seeing flames coming from a cold storage facility located at 240 15th Street, according to police.
Central Pierce Fire & Rescue said the building contained 1,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia used for refrigeration. Crew fires were concerned the material could explode.
A reverse 911 call notified 10,000 people in the area of the evacuation. It’s unknown how many of those people followed the evacuation order. Central Pierce Fire & Rescue reported 86 people were sheltering at the Puyallup Nazarene Church on 7th Ave Southwest, which was set up as an evacuation center.
East Pioneer and East Main were fully reopened Sunday morning. The only road closure is 15th Street Southeast from Main to Pioneer. Pedestrians are being kept away from the fire scene.
The Saturday farmers market in Puyallup was canceled due to the fire danger. The Puyallup School District suspended all activities.
Crews at scene of a second alarm commercial fire in downtown Puyallup.
— Central Pierce Fire & Rescue (@CentralPierce)
units B331/E338 provided mutual aid to Fire for a 3rd Alarm cold storage fire early this morning. Due to large amounts of anhydrous ammonia initiated a GO NOW order evacuating residents within a 1.1 mile radius.
— Valley Regional Fire (@ValleyFire)
