LAKEWOOD, Wash. — Crews are working to determine the cause of a large commercial fire in Pierce County that started early Monday morning.
The fire began late Sunday night at Watson Signature Event Center, located at 11521 Bridgeport Way SW, per a social media post from West Pierce Fire and Rescue. Firefighters initially went into the building and tried an "offensive" strategy, but safety concerns caused crews to evacuate all personnel inside and take up a defensive position instead.
Bridgeport Way was closed in both directions at the site of the building while crews battled the blaze. No injuries to any firefighters have been reported, and no one was found inside when crews arrived at the building.
Terry Hayes, the owner of The Man BBQ, which operated out of the event space, says he's still trying to adjust to the reality of the building being gone.
"It's amazing how it takes years and decades to build up something, and then in a matter of hours, it can be destroyed," Hayes said.
The fire ends a four year chapter of work by the building's owner, James Watson. He says he initially bought the building to help his mother's decorating business, and it soon grew into a space for people to gather and enjoy a five-star experience.
Recently, the building hosted a variety of high-profile events, including Senator T'Wina Noble's re-election campaign announcement.
"We brought a lot of joy to a lot of people, and served the people of Lakewood, and I believe, beautified this corner," Watson said.
Hayes says he enjoyed his time in the event center and the mutual support that allowed his business to thrive.
Now, both men have to figure out their next move, but they're thankful no one was hurt.
"The grill, the trailer, it survived, I'm gonna survive. That's just a building. We can build another building, we can't build another person," Hayes said.
Authorities say Bridgeport Way will continue to be closed Monday, possibly for the rest of the day, per a social post from the Lakewood Police Department.
West Pierce Fire said Pierce Transit provided a bus to a temporary shelter for a nearby apartment complex.
KING 5 crews could still smell smoke emanating from the building at around 6 a.m. Monday.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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