Businesses destroyed in massive 3-alarm fire in downtown Bothell
Updated: Jul 22, 2016 - 1:09 PM
© 2016 Cox Media Group. BOTHELL, Wash. —
SR 522 and multiple roads were closed after an apartment building under construction caught fire and spread, destroying it and a mall containing ten businesses in downtown Bothell.
Firefighters were called to the building at Main Street and 102nd Avenue Northeast at 2:50 a.m. Friday. When crews arrived, the building was fully involved in flames.
"I have not seen a fire of this magnitude in Bothell before," said Bothell fire spokesperson Kirsten Clemens.
Both directions of SR 522 from Kaysner Way to Bothell Way were closed to traffic for hours.
At one time, flames were reported to have been shooting hundreds of feet in the air and part of a construction crane was melted by the heat of the fire.
© 2016 Cox Media Group. Embers pushed by wind spread the fire across the street to the Bothell Mall. The building and the ten businesses inside were destroyed. One person from a nearby building was evacuated. Firefighters concentrated on preventing the three-alarm fire from spreading further. More than 50 firefighters responded.
There were no injuries.
The bottom of the structure was an old mercantile building that was going to remain intact for retail space. On top of that was new construction for 130 apartment buildings. The building was destroyed.
The fire gutted the popular Kozy Korner Coffee shop and damaged the roof of a Wells Fargo Bank. A few nearby homes were were also affected.
City officials say it could take days or even weeks to find the cause.