Puyallup Fire: Puyallup cold storage fire still smoldering as crews extinguish hot spots | king5.com
This morning’s 3-alarm commercial fire at the cold storage facility in downtown Puyallup sparked officials to evacuate residents in the area. This is due to the building storing approximately 1,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia used for refrigeration. A 1.1 mile evacuation zone was declared and residents in the zone were evacuated by police going door to door and reverse 911 calls to residents in the evacuation zone.
Residents in the area have since voiced concern that something similar could happen at the massive warehouse project located between the cities of Sumner and Puyallup that is also in close proximity to both business and residential areas.
Facilities such as “The Viking” with its massive 438,065 square feet (part of the proposed 2.6 million square feet of warehouses proposed in the SE area of Puyallup in close proximity to business and the heavily populated residential areas which includes several schools) are of concern to nearby residents and business owners who fear that any large scale fire could be devastating and cause massive environmental, health, and property damage.
This threat of fire has added to the concerns and anxiety that many have over construction of the existing facility and the currently halted construction of the seven additional massive warehouses in the area.
Residents and business owners in the area are encouraged to contact Chris Beal, Senior Planner, at CBeale@puyallupwa.gov or via phone (253) 841-5418 and voice your concerns over the existing warehouse and the proposed seven additional warehouses that are currently on hold.
Update from fire officials:
City of Puyallup’s Emergency Response Directive showing the evacuation zone for this fire:
The following is provided to illustrate the safety concerns if The Viking warehouse caught on fire causing a 1.1 mile evacuation zone to be initiated:
Google Map with The Viking warehouse at the center of a 1.1 mile evacuation zone circle.
Google Map showing The Viking warehouse at the center of a 1.1 mile evacuaton zone circle with satellite imagery included to illustrate what would be affected.
For the sake or argument, here is the same map with a 2, 5 and 10 mile radius drawn around The Viking warehouse:
2 mile radius
2 mile radius with satellite imagery
5 mile radius
5 mile radius with satellite imagery
10 mile radius
10 mile radius with satellite imagery