Factory Fire Narrowly Avoids Catastrophe
A two-hour battle against a lumber kiln fire on Puyallup Avenue threatened to spark a larger blaze in the industrial district.
Hard fighting for two hours by Tacoma firemen was all that prevented a disastrous conflagration in the factory district last night. Fire was discovered about 9:30 o'clock in the dry kiln of the Robinson mill on Puyallup Avenue. The kiln was piled full of dry lumber and the flames had made considerable headway before workmen discovered them creeping up the end of the building. An alarm was sent to fire headquarters and two engines with the hose wagon and a hook-and-ladder truck made a record-breaking run to the scene. Meantime, employees of the mill had gotten out a line of hose and did all that was possible to keep the flames in check, but their efforts would have been of little effect but for the prompt arrival of the firemen. A strong southwest wind was blowing, and other factories in the district and the Northern Pacific freight offices were threatened with destruction. Dense volumes of smoke continued to pour out of the building for nearly an hour after, but the danger of the fire spreading had passed. The loss to the building and contents is about $3,500, covered by insurance.
“A strong southwest wind was blowing and the other factories in the district and the Northern Pacific freight offices were threatened with destruction.”
Puyallup Avenue remains a critical industrial corridor in Tacoma, though the era of wood-fueled kilns has long since passed. The reliance on volunteer/staff efforts and quick municipal response during this era highlights the constant fear of fire in a city built largely of timber.
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