Fire destroys Irondale structure, then flares up again

Published 12:01 am Sunday, February 14, 2016

PORT TOWNSEND — A fire that destroyed a large storage structure full of wood in the 200 block of West Horton Street in Irondale early Saturday flared up briefly later that day.

“They are out there putting more water on it,” said Bill Beezley, East Jefferson Fire-Rescue spokesman, at about 4 p.m.

The fire was determined to be out within 10 minutes.

Firefighters had remained at the site for several hours after the 7:30 a.m. fire had been extinguished at about 9:20 a.m., Beezley said. They tore the debris apart with a backhoe and saturated it before leaving.

Renewed fire activity was reported later that afternoon and was quickly extinguished.

“Once in awhile, a fire will flare back up,” he said.

No one was injured in the blaze, Beezley said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Jefferson County Fire Investigation Task Force, headed by Assistant Chief Brian Tracer.

Firefighters were called to the morning blaze after a neighbor awoke to “popping noises,” looked outside and saw an orange glow. She then called emergency dispatchers at 9-1-1.

Firefighters arrived to find an approximately 60-foot-by-80-foot structure engulfed in flames.

The unusual structure was roughly circular in shape and built similar in design to a teepee, Beezley said.

Over the poles and posts was a mixture of corrugated steel and plastic panels.

The structure contained thousands of board feet of hardwood flooring, cedar boards and dimensional lumber boards as well as a forklift, Beezley said.

The owner of the structure told firefighters he stored wood there.

He said there were no heat sources or electrical connections in the structure.