One injured in apartment fire on Olympia’s east side Thursday afternoon

Correction: The fire department initially described the injured man as “elderly,” and the story included that description. The department later notified The Olympian that the man was in his 30s.

An apartment on Olympia’s east side caught fire Thursday afternoon, injuring one occupant and temporarily closing Bethel Street Northeast, the Olympia Fire Department says.

The department was dispatched to a fire alarm at an apartment building at 210 Bethel St. NE about 3:15 p.m., according to OFD Assistant Chief of Operations Mike Buchanan. Crews arrived to find smoke and an active fire in one first-floor unit.

Two men who live in the unit left the building on their own accord, Buchanan told The Olympian, but one of the men suffered respiratory burns and was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Buchanan said the man was estimated to be in his 30s.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, Buchanan said, and it did not grow beyond the one unit.

Property damage is estimated at $35,000, according to a tweet from the department. Investigators were working to determine the cause and origin of the fire Thursday afternoon.

The department has contacted Red Cross to work on providing shelter for the second man, who said he was not injured, according to Buchanan.

Bethel Street was closed for more than an hour at Fourth Avenue.

Lacey Fire District 3 also responded to the fire.

This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 4:25 PM.