Building-hopping fire destroys Tacoma construction site, damages two apartments

A two-alarm fire impacted multiple buildings along South Puget Sound Avenue in Tacoma Monday night.

According to the Tacoma Fire Department (TFD), the fire started in a construction building located between two apartment complexes at around 9 p.m. Monday.

“Once the crews arrived on scene, we discovered that there was a building under construction that was fully engulfed when we got there, and there was damage being done to the building to the south on the exterior, and it was starting to move to the building on the north side as well,” Tacoma Fire Department spokesperson Chelsea Shepherd told KIRO Newsradio. “It was in a very dense area, so, like, the apartment buildings were all very close together. So, once that construction site, that construction building, went up, it was kind of a matter of time before it jumps to the occupied building next door.”

The building under construction was declared a total loss. An apartment building to the south sustained exterior fire damage, while the apartment building directly to the north suffered extensive fire damage, according to the fire department.

Multiple families displaced

“We reached out to Red Cross for at least six families, so six different units that were displaced,” Shepherd said. “It’s one of those moments when it could have been so much worse. We’re glad that there were no injuries. The apartment building that eventually caught fire, everyone was able to get out just fine.”

Fire investigators were on the scene early Tuesday morning, looking into the cause of the fire, and Puget Sound Avenue was blocked between 38th and 43rd as crews responded to the incident. Central Pierce Engine 61 and West Pierce Engine 20 provided mutual aid, responding to other calls in Tacoma while TFD crews were busy fighting the apartment fire.

Crews are expected to remain on scene for several hours on Tuesday.

“Because the fire was just so intense and going across several buildings, our investigators were not able to get in to actually do the investigation last night, so we will hopefully have some answers to the cause of the fire later today, since investigators are going to return to the scene today,” Shepherd said.

Luckily, nobody was injured, and the fire is now under control.

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