Large fire closes Capitol Way for hours as crews evacuate Olympia apartments
The Olympia Fire Department responded to a fire at an apartment complex late Thursday night and into Friday morning that took two hours to knock down.
Chief Hillory Flowers told The Olympian that the fire was first reported at 11:59 p.m. in the 1800 block of Capitol Way South. It had started in the wall and spread from the electrical system.
Flowers said it took crews seven minutes to arrive on scene. She said the building is an older home that was converted into apartments, and it was constructed with balloon framing, where there are channels in the walls.
Flowers said this allowed the fire to travel upward with ease, making it harder for crews to knock it out.
She said residents of the building were evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported. It took about two hours to put the fire out, and she said the road was closed during that time. The cause is still under investigation.
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