Fire Guts Arnold's Home Furnishings

Transcription

1 Fire Guts Arnold's By Derek Sheppard Originally published 05:24 a.m., July 27, 2009 Updated 08:53 a.m., July 27, 2009 BREMERTON Firefighters continue to battle a stubborn fire at Bremerton's Arnold's on Kitsap Way, and the road remains closed. The longtime Bremerton business, operating since 1951, was gutted early Monday morning in a fire that burned for more than six hours. "It's kind of devastating," said Bremerton Fire Department Chief Al Duke. "It's been in business a long time here." Firefighters were called just after 2 a.m. Monday to a blaze that started in an eastern corner of the large furniture store. When the first firefighters arrived, they saw the blaze had already burned through the ceiling, so they retreated. "The roof can collapse on them," Duke said. Crews from as far as Pierce County showed up to help, and 125 firefighters worked the blaze. It's still too early to tell what started the fire, and the fire marshal's office is investigating, looking for witnesses and gathering surveillance footage from nearby buildings. The business has been expanded a few times over the years, but only the newest section had fire-suppression sprinklers, Duke said. Firefighters continued to battle stubborn flames once daylight broke and into the morning. They are working to save the Broyhill Gallery on the building's west side, an area that did have sprinklers. "We're trying to save whatever pieces of the building we can," Duke said. Fire crews worked into the morning on Monday to knock out a blaze at the Bremerton furniture store. For some of the 25 employees who showed up at the scene, it was understandable that shock was their first emotion. "It's just really devastating," Debbie Schmittler said. "We're all just stunned." She's worked at Arnold's for 15 years, and remembered a marketing employee who recently found an article from the Bremerton Sun in 1951 when the store opened. The article "said we're planning to be here 100 years," she said. Kathy Christensen, a buyer and merchandiser who worked at Arnold's for 35 years, expressed shock as well. "I'm just thankful nobody was inside," she said. Duke said the fire is the largest the city has had since an infamous 1997 fire at the Kona Village Apartments that killed four people. Christensen remembered that fire, too. "We gathered up a lot of things to help those folks out," she said Kitsap Sun

2 Kitsap Way was closed Monday morning as fire crews battled a blaze at Arnold's in Bremerton.

3 Fire crews from across Kitsap helped to battle a fire at Arnold's Home Furnishings on Kitsap Way in Bremerton on Monday morning.

4 Kitsap Way was closed and power was cut off to buildings surrounding Arnold's Home Furnishings in Bremerton as crews battled a blaze at the store.

5 Firefighters responded to a call of a fire at Arnold's in Bremerton at 2:01 a.m. Monday.

6 Firefighters battle a blaze at Arnold's on Kitsap Way in Bremerton early Monday morning.

7 A fire at Arnold's on Kitsap Way in Bremerton started in one corner of the building, and spread to consume the whole thing. More than four hours after firefighters responded to Arnold's Home Furnishings, fire continued to burn portions of the building that remained. (DEREK SHEPPARD

8 Fire engines from as far as Tacoma, Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula responded to the fire Monday at Arnold's. A firefighter atop a ladder continues to fight the blaze Monday morning, more than four hours after the first crews arrived. (DEREK SHEPPARD Arnold's Home Furnishings General Manager Ralph Erickson (center) and long-time employees Debbie Schmittler (left) and Kathy Christensen watch as firefighters continued to battle the blaze Monday morning. (DEREK SHEPPARD

9 A firefighter atop a ladder continues to fight the Arnold's blaze Monday morning, more than four hours after crews first responded. (DEREK SHEPPARD

10 Bremerton firefighter Dana Normandy puts out hot spots in the rubble of Arnold's on Monday. (LARRY STEAGALL KITSAP SUN) Bremerton firefighter Dana Normandy cools off after fighting the Arnold's fire on Monday. (LARRY STEAGALL KITSAP SUN)