Submitted by City of Olympia
Olympia Firefighters responded to 911 4th Avenue East for a reported structure fire at 2:25 a.m. this morning. Firefighters could see the fire as they left their station a little over a block away. Calls to 9-1-1 reported a fire in an abandoned church building. The first fire unit arrived at 2:28 and reported a working fire with a person trapped on the roof.
Firefighters used the ladder truck to rescue the person off the roof approximately 3 stories above the ground. She had cuts and scrapes but refused aid and fled the scene. She reported that her friend was missing. Olympia Police reported a male jumped from the back of the building, complained of a broken ankle but ran away before receiving any aid. A man and women matching the description of the ones leaving the scene did seek aid at a local hospital but the extent of any injuries are unknown. Unauthorized persons have been seen in this building in the past. The fire was too intense to enter the building; firefighters worked from the outside.
At about 3:30 am the roof collapsed, weakening the rest of the structure. Several sidewall sections collapsed from the fire but the main front wall and steeple areas built in the early 1900’s did not fall. The building became even more unstable threatening to fall into the roadway. Firefighters pulled back further and monitored the situation.
Fire Commanders worked with the City of Olympia Building Official and Public Works to bring in an excavator from a private company to push down the remaining walls at about 8:00 am.
Adjacent businesses, the Fourth Avenue Market and A-1 Rentals, did not receive any fire damage and only cosmetic wall damage when the fire building collapsed. An office across the alley behind the fire building received significant water damage in the basement from the runoff.
Fourth Avenue, the main eastbound street through downtown Olympia, was closed between Plum and Eastside with traffic detoured to Legion. Fourth Avenue is expected to remain closed until 3:00 p.m. this afternoon.
Olympia Fire Department responded with 4 engines, 1 ladder truck, 2 medic units, and a command unit. Additional units form City of Tumwater, Fire Districts 6 and 8 also responded. There were approximately 40 firefighters working on the second alarm fire. The only injury reported was a minor leg muscle strain sustained by one firefighter.
After the unstable walls were pushed down, fire crews worked with the heavy equipment operators to tear apart the pile and extinguish any hot spots. This activity is expected to continue throughout the day.
Damage is estimated at $100,000 for the property. It is unlikely that there will be any ability to investigate the fire as the building collapsed and was pushed into a pile. Fire Investigators will observe the scene but the cause will likely remain undetermined.
