Three-alarm fire destroys Everett landmark

Investigators in Everett are now working to figure out what caused the three-alarm fire that gutted a landmark.

The fire that destroyed the century-old building that was home to the Judd & Black appliance store lit up the Friday night sky.

Investigators say the fire started on the building's northeast corner.

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Mike Ptacek brought his young sons to see what he had watched on television burn Friday night.

"They wanted to see the building," said Ptacek. "(We) saw a lot fire trucks. And he loves fire trucks."

Ptacek, who is a consultant in business restoration, says there is plenty of evidence the building was constructed in the 1890s.

"Well, you look at the framing of it," he said. "It's got the double wall brick. And they just did the facade around the south side where it's collapsed. (It's) on the east face of it here."

The three alarm fire broke out just after 7:30 p.m. Friday. Initial 911 calls were that a dumpster was on fire. But Everett firefighters quickly determined flames were in the building itself.  Once they made sure no one was inside, they, too, exited.  They spent the rest of the night and early Saturday morning fighting the fire from outside.

At about 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon, firefighters put out the last of the hot spots and declared their work done.  Investigators say they know the fire started on the building's northeast corner.  Now the question is how.
  
Assistant Fire Marshal Steve Goforth was asked if they have sense whether the fire was set.

"We don't," said Goforth.  "Everything is on the table right now. Everything from being set to having something faulty inside. It's just too early to tell."

The fire did more than gut the building.  It also destroyed the massive Judd & Black sign. Its demise is a sad coda for what had become an Everett landmark.

"As I was coming back from Arlington," said Erik Thompson, who lives nearby. "Yeah, see it from the freeways. It's just gone.  The whole back side, gone."

Just before 6 p.m. Saturday, the fire department was called back because of new hotspots. Firefighters hosed the building down once again and left.

The family members who own the local chain of appliance stores said they were busy taking care of their customers.

They had no comment on the fire.

Cox Media Group