EVERETT — A burnt boat, charred vehicles, blown-out roof and scorched metal lined part of a storage facility in south Everett on Tuesday morning, following a two-alarm fire that tore through a section of the property Monday evening.
Yellow caution tape stretched across the length of each row damaged by the fire. Blackened shells of vehicles were a reminder of the significant damage from the previous night. In some places, only charred support poles remained.
Nothing that burned was salvageable.
As of 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, an employee with Trojan Storage said management had not yet contacted renters of the destroyed units.
On Monday, firefighters responded shortly after 6:30 p.m. to the self storage facility in the 13000 block of 4th Avenue West after reports of smoke and flames. Less than 20 minutes later, it was upgraded to a second alarm.
The fire produced a thermal column visible for miles.
Ty Caudle was working in his storage unit alongside his wife when he heard popping and noises that sounded like fireworks.
He could see smoke in the air and began to investigate, he said Monday.
Once he found the storage unit in flames, he alerted others.
“I could see the flames coming out of the corner of the north end of the building,” Caudle said. “And that’s when we all got out of here and called the fire department, and by the time they got here, it was fully engulfed.”
An estimated 13 storage units were destroyed by the fire, said South County Fire spokesperson Christie Veley. At least one unit may have been empty, but most were full, she said.
Veley later clarified those were open carport-style bays, not enclosed units. Across from the destroyed bays, more than a dozen enclosed storage units sustained heat damage. The fire did not affect the entire facility.
Firefighters saved a 40-foot-wide shop connected to those units, she said. In total, close to 60 firefighters responded to the blaze, including crews from Everett Fire, Mukilteo Fire and Paine Field Fire.
The fire was largely out as of 8 p.m. Monday.
The Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office continued to search for a cause, though investigators believe it was not criminal, Veley said. It is possible that a mechanical or electrical vehicle malfunction caused the fire, Veley added. There were no injuries reported.
Under state law, storage facility owners are not required to provide insurance for items stored on their property. It is the renter’s responsibility to obtain coverage against fire, theft or damage.
Trojan Storage declined to comment Tuesday.
Michael Henneke: 425-339-3431; michael.henneke@heraldnet.com; X: @ihenpecked.
Aaron Kennedy: 425-257-7444; aaron.kennedy@heraldnet.com
Aspen Anderson: 425-339-3192; aspen.anderson@heraldnet.com; X: @aspenwanderson.
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