Posted: July 09, 2015
WALLA WALLA, WA. --
A fire in Walla Walla completely destroyed a well-known business overnight. It wasn't your normal fire, firefighters couldn't even use water to put out some of the flames.
The view from up above the Martin Archery manufacturing complex in Walla Walla is just incredible. If you look inside the building, which used to have a huge roof on it, nearly everything inside is completely destroyed.
You can't even tell what most of the things used to be. Firefighters say this fire was so hard to fight because of what was burning inside.
These are the flames firefighters had to deal with Wednesday night at the Martin Archery manufacturing building. The fire was very large, but it wasn't just the size that presented a challenge. One metal, called Magnesium, is used to create the structure of some bows. But when it burns, there's trouble.
"When magnesium burns and you put water on it, it has an explosive effect," Chief of Walla Walla Fire District 4 Rocky Eastman said. "It's a chemical reaction between the water and the magnesium that is burning and molting."
To put it simply;
"So if you put water on this fire, it would make it worse?" we asked.
"On areas of this fire, when we put water on it, yes it made it worse," Chief Eastman responded.
This is how some describe the flames.
"It wasn't even a fire, it was like a glowing hot pile of magma," Ken Melhus said.
And that makes it even more impressive that firefighters were able to keep the flames contained inside these four walls.