Thursday night fire destroys Olympia home, prompts evacuations

A large fire Thursday night in southeast Olympia destroyed a house and shop and prompted evacuations of nearby homes, according to Olympia Fire Department.

The fire was reported at about 10:10 p.m. on the 1900 block of 12th Avenue Southeast. Firefighters arrived to find a blaze consuming vehicles and a large shop next to the house, and fuel tanks venting and exploding.

The home’s two residents were outside by the time crews arrived and not injured. One of them told firefighters there were multiple propane tanks, welding tanks, diesel barrels and other tanks and vehicles in and around the shop.

The fire spread to the house. That was a total loss, along with the shop and vehicles.

Police evacuated people from five houses bordering the property but those homes did not appear damaged.

Most of the fire was out by 12:30 a.m., but tanks continued to burn off fuel. Firefighters used hose streams throughout the night to control the fire and keep the tanks cool.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Property loss figures were not immediately available.

Lacey Fire District 3, Thurston Fire Protection districts 8 and 9 and Tumwater crews also responded. Two Olympia firefighters sustained minor eye injuries that did not require a hospital visit.

This story was originally published July 13, 2018 at 7:32 AM.