Fire guts building at Mottman Industrial Park in Tumwater
A commercial building at the Mottman Industrial Park in Tumwater was destroyed by fire Saturday night.
About 5:15 p.m. Saturday, Tumwater fire crews were dispatched to the 2700 block of 29th Avenue Southwest after a report of smoke in the area.
They arrived to find a building on fire. Unable to enter the burning structure, crews fought the fire defensively to protect other buildings in the area, Tumwater spokeswoman Ann Cook said.
The building was used by a business called Sterile Surgical Systems. The owner estimates the fire damages at $3 million, Cook said.
Initial information points to an oil leak as a cause, she said. Two employees were using a thermal oil iron, a machine used to iron linens, when it leaked onto some combustible materials, igniting the fire. The employees were able to escape without injury, Cook said.
Several fire departments responded to the blaze, including Olympia, McLane/Black Lake, and East Olympia Fire District 6.
The state Department of Ecology spill response team also was on scene during the fire.
Ecology reported the following:
▪ Fire water runoff was contained to a series of retention ponds, and did not impact local creeks.
▪ Neighborhoods close to the fire and downwind had the highest smoke particulate levels, which were only slightly elevated above the “good” air quality range.
▪ Chemical cleaning agents were stored at the facility but were not involved in the fire.
▪ Oil used in the equipment was mostly burned in the fire, or contained inside the building that burned.
This story was originally published February 2, 2020 at 10:55 AM.
