2-alarm fire at former cold storage facility in Puyallup

A two-alarm fire broke out at a former cold storage warehouse in Puyallup Tuesday morning.

Puyallup Police Department first reported the incident near the intersection of 15th Street Southeast and East Pioneer around 7:25 a.m. Tuesday.

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Police have closed several roads, including 15th Street SE between East Main and East Pioneer and East Pioneer between State Route 512 and 21st Street Southeast, as fire crews work to calm the blaze. Central Pierce Fire & Rescue crews are at the scene.

Because the fire is near railroad tracks, all train service through Puyallup is also suspended until further notice. At 8:40 a.m., Puyallup Police said the restriction through the city could last five or more hours.

Incident command at the scene is advising the restriction on rail service through the city will likely be in place for 5+ hours. This could change as the day goes on but for now this is the best estimate. pic.twitter.com/4c21ZClp8G

— Puyallup Police (@PuyallupPD) August 22, 2023

Nearly two years ago to the day, a fire at the Puyallup Cold Storage Facility prompted a mile-wide evacuation order. Refrigerants like anhydrous ammonia made it a tough fight for emergency crews, with more than a mile encircling the fire being evacuated due to concerns of an explosion.

Police say there is no concern about ammonia or other dangerous substances escaping due to the fire.

“We know folks have been concerned about any ammonia threat at the cold storage facility with the fire. Currently, there are no concerns about an ammonia threat from the fire,” Puyallup Police said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “That was an issue several years ago, but today no issues.”

The cause of the fire is currently unknown.