Issuing Officer: Jolene Davis/Joe Meinecke
Address: 3326 S. 23rd St
Response: Station 1,2,4,9,13,16,17
Damage Estimate: $35,000
Narrative: At 6:21 p.m. firefighters responded to a reported fire in a commercial occupancy. First arriving companies found heavy smoke showing from inside the PetSmart business, and upon further investigation located a fire that had started in some pet supplies kept in the retail area of the store.
The buildings fire sprinkler system activated and knocked the fire down, and firefighters extinguished the remaining hot spots. In a well-coordinated effort, evacuation of the staff, patrons and various four-legged, reptile and avian occupants took center stage. Crews worked quickly to move as many animals as possible to a clean air environment and used high powered fans to ventilate the smoke from the building. None of the animals appeared to have sustained injuries in the incident.
The cause of the fire was determined to be suspicious and the case was referred to the Tacoma Police Department for follow-up. The fire caused an estimated $35,000 dollars damage to the building and its contents.
