Area firefighters put out a fire that severely damaged a small strip mall along Pacific Highway South in Kent on Sunday.
There were no reported injuries, the Kent Regional Fire Authority said.
The fire all but completely destroyed a Dollar Tree merchandise store, tobacco shop and U.S. Post Office. The fire also damaged a beauty salon, specialty food store and a fitness gym at the mall, according to the Kent RFA.
Kent RFA and South King Fire Rescue units were dispatched at 2:27 p.m. to a minor fire in the 23400 block of Pacific Highway South.
First-arriving fire department units upgraded the incident to a “working” fire and called a second alarm after seeing smoke coming from the building. That alarm dispatched several more fire units from throughout South King County to help with the fire.
Once emergency personnel confirmed that everyone was out of all the businesses, firefighters were withdrawn from inside the structure because of the continued spread of the fire and the dangerous conditions. A third alarm was requested of dispatchers, approximately 40 minutes after the initial units arrived.
The three alarms totaled 75 firefighters and more than 20 support personnel.
Firefighters hit remaining hot spots through the collapsed roof, using ladder trucks that have large hoses mounted on the tips. Crews were on scene throughout the night to fight the fire and provide security to the scene.
An investigator returned to the strip mall Monday morning to try to determine the cause of the fire. Smoke continued to come from the building on Monday morning as firefighters poured water on the fire.
The fire burned aggressively because the Dollar Tree store was filled with plastic and paper products which readily burn, said Kent RFA spokesman Kyle Ohashi in a Monday email. He said the fire also became trapped within the exterior masonry walls.
“The fire is still burning to a small degree because as the roof collapsed, much of the fire was buried in the rubble, keeping firefighters from being able to reach some of it,” Ohashi said. “Once the fire breaks through the material covering it, we can hit it with water and extinguish it.”
The following agencies assisted at the fire: Burien Fire Department; Renton RFA; Tukwila FD; Valley RFA; KCFD 20; Medic One; and Kent Police.
Kent also received support from Puget Sound Energy; the Zone 3 Fire Explorers; Tukwila Police for allowing firefighters to use its mobile command post; and the Soup Ladies for providing food.
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