© Unknown
It happened around 5 p.m. at 3701 96th Street SW in Lakewood.
The fire sparked in a compressed natural gas tank at the back side of the Pierce Transit parking lot, according to Lakewood Fire officials. The facility compresses natural gas fuel for buses, said Lind Simonsen with Pierce Transit. Nobody was close to the explosion when it occured, and nobody was hurt.
The heat was so intense, firefighters were forced to back off to a safe distance to fight the fire, said investigators.
Several witnesses reported an explosion followed by a large column of flames.
Investigators said the fire originated at the bus fueling island at the facility. It was under control within an hour.
Several witnesses reported an explosion followed by a large column of flames.
Video of the aftermath shows one building heavily damaged and a trailer destroyed.
People within one-quarter mile of the facility were evacuated for about an hour as a precaution. Those evacuations were lifted by 6:30 p.m.
Pierce Transit says it will send out details later about how this will affect bus service.
Reader Comments
to our Newsletter