PORT ANGELES — Both lanes of Front Street have been reopened after they were shut down this morning (Saturday) following the outbreak of a fire in an outbuilding near a house at 213 N. Liberty St.
The street was reopened at about 1:30 p.m. today.
Port Angeles Police Officer Mike Johnson said the fire, reported at 10:51 a.m., appeared to be caused by some sort of propellant explosion.
Police shut down Front Street and are diverting traffic north along Ennis Street and west along Georgiana Street so fire hoses can be stretched across Front Street and connected to fire hydrants, Johnson said.
Roy Evans, who lives across Liberty Street from the fire, said he called 9-1-1 after he saw black smoke billowing out a small chimney on the outbuilding’s roof.
Evans said he also heard a “whoomph” sound like a small explosion inside the building as smoke spread to the end of the structure opposite the chimney.
A resident of the building was first treated on the scene in an ambulance for heat-related injuries from the fire and then taken to Olympic Medical Center.
Fire crews and at least two engines from the city fire department were spraying water on the burnt frame of the building as of 11:30 a.m.
All that remained of the structure were pieces of the building’s frame, some portions of roof and a large garage-style door facing Liberty Street.
Earlier story below.
PORT ANGELES — Both lanes of Front Street have been shut down this morning after a structure fire broke out in the 200 block of North Liberty Street.
Front Street was closed to traffic in the area of Liberty, an emergency dispatcher said, to protect a hose leading from a hydrant as firefighters work on the fire, reported at about 11 a.m.
Detour onto Ennis Street to Georgianna Street.
Port Angeles Police Office Mike Johnson said the fire appeared to be caused by some propellant explosion.
More information will be reported as it becomes available.
