PUYALLUP, Wash — Train service in Puyallup has been suspended after a two-alarm fire at an abandoned building sparked Tuesday morning, the Puyallup Police Department confirmed.
The fire began at an old cold storage facility in the area of 15th Street SE and East Pioneer.
Several road closures also were set up as a result of the fire. 15th Street SE is closed between East Main and East Pioneer, and East Pioneer is closed between State Route 512 and 21st Street SE.
Puyallup police say the rail service will likely last until the early afternoon at least.
It is unclear how the fire began, but Puyallup PD says this same business had a major fire several years ago.
The building contained 1,000 pounds of a refrigerant called anhydrous ammonia, said Captain Darrin Shaw with Central Pierce Fire & Rescue at the time. Anhydrous ammonia is lighter than air, so crews allowed the chemical to burn and rise into the atmosphere rather than weigh it down with water, which would then “coat the community,” Shaw said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anhydrous ammonia is a colorless gas or liquid that can cause breathing difficulties, burns, blisters and is fatal if breathed in high concentrations.
The 100,000-square-foot building was considered a total loss after the 2021 fire, according to a statement from the company. There were no employees in the building at the time.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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