Nisqually Plaza fire causes $250,000 in damage 

An electrical fire caused an estimated $250,000 in damage at Nisqually Plaza in Yelm on Monday, Dec. 8.

No injuries were reported. Firefighters from five agencies contained the blaze in just over an hour, according to an incident report obtained by The JOLT News from S.E. Thurston Fire Authority. 

The fire broke out around 7:10 p.m. on Dec. 8 at Nisqually Plaza, a commercial complex at 1010 Yelm Ave. E. 

A 911 caller at the Yelm Laundry Center spotted flames and realized the fire was jumping to a shipping container business next door. The caller warned that wind was pushing the fire and urged dispatch to evacuate anyone still inside. 

Within seven minutes, Engine 21 from S.E. Thurston's Station 02-1 pulled up to the plaza. Crews found "fire burning in the ceiling area under the building's entry overhang," the fire authority said. 

Dispatchers called in mutual aid from Lacey Fire, East Olympia Fire, Bald Hill Fire and South Thurston Fire from Tenino. Two suppression units, one EMS unit and one additional apparatus arrived on scene within minutes. 

Once reinforcements arrived, firefighters launched an aggressive attack on the blaze. Crews "quickly accessed the space, knocked down the fire, and stopped it from spreading further," the fire authority said.

Even so, smoke had already crept into neighboring businesses. The fire authority said “firefighters worked to check for extension" throughout the affected areas. 

Cause

Investigators traced the fire to the awning above the building's entrance. 

The incident report lists the heat source as electrical arcing. An unspecified short-circuit arc caused the ignition, and the electrical wiring ran on line voltage of 50 volts or greater. The arcing ignited the exterior roof covering, surface and finish material on the awning, with plywood catching fire first. 

Fire officials ruled the cause unintentional. No human factors contributed to the ignition, according to the report. Flames never broke into the main building and stayed confined to the awning and a nearby advertising sign. 

The plaza is a one-story, 50,000-square-foot building. It sits between Vancil Road SE and Plaza Drive NE. Businesses inside were open when the fire started. 

Crews stuck around to make sure no hotspots remained. The last unit rolled out at 8:19 p.m. 

The Yelm Police Department secured the damaged storefronts after firefighters cleared the scene. 

The fire caused $250,000 in structural damage. No content losses were recorded. Capt. Dan Stewart of S.E. Thurston Fire Authority led the response.