ARLINGTON, Wash. -- The fire marshall is at the scene of an early morning fire that damaged or destroyed six businesses at an Arlington strip mall. Firefighters had to fight not only the intense flames, but also had to be careful about ammunition that may have been exploding inside of one of the burning stores.
As flames leapt from the rooftop of the Smokey Point Plaza, people who own the small shops and businesses could only watch helplessly. "The money in the store is minimal," says Steve Noble, co-owner of Loans 4 You. "The records are irretrievable. Except for what's backed up on the computers. All our hard copies are going to be shot."
Firefighters found the blaze difficult to tackle. They were worried about many elements, including the roof collapsing, and the danger posed by an attic that connected many of the businesses. They were also concerned about a series of explosions they heard coming from the pawn shop where they believe the fire began. They are relatively sure it was the sound of ammunition exploding. "We didn't have concerns about the ammunition coming outside of the building," says Jim Rankin, the chief of the Arlington Fire Department. "But we had to stay back so if it did come through the windows or doors , unlikely it would've done that, but we don't know for sure.
An employee at the pawn shop says with the economy so bad, the store was packed with people's valuables. Says Ron Jones, "We have guns, jewelry, fishing stuff, radio gear. Everything that's in a normal pawn shop." Jones says many arrived this morning to see if their goods survived.
"I was talking to some people that had some really nice stuff put away that they want to know if it's good, and I said I can't give you any answers right now until we find out what's going on."
Jones says most of the guns and jewelry were in a special safe, so some may have survived.
But for six businesses ranging from a teriyaki restaurant to a music store, the damage will be long lasting. The fire marshall is hoping to determine a cause shortly.
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