Brilliant orange light flickered off Jim Moore’s glasses as he watched soaring flames demolish the two-story headquarters of his Stouffer-Moore Floor Covering business in Aberdeen on Tuesday night.
Moore stood along I Street surrounded by friends and family as the fire quickly spread from a single room to a roof-collapsing inferno. The roar of the blaze mixed with the rush of dozens of fire hoses, wailing sirens and the screech of radio chatter.
“I’m just devastated,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s all been destroyed.”
Moore pointed out parts of the building and listed the inventory, account records and equipment evaporating behind the flames and thick black smoke.
“All my computers,” he said. “Everything’s gone. My records are destroyed.”
Against the glowing backdrop the 57-year-old wiped tears from behind his glasses.
“I’m just sick,” he said.
Aberdeen Fire Chief Dave Carlberg said crews responded to a report of smoke on the 300 block of I Street at about 6 p.m. They immediately sounded a second alarm and took a defensive strategy against the growing flames.
“We never did put anyone inside the building,” he said.
As the fire broke through the roof and brought the warehouse crashing in upon itself, fire crews focused on containing the blaze and preventing damage to nearby structures, Carlberg said. A neighboring warehouse received some exterior damage from the extreme heat of the fire, which lit the Harbor sky as smoke blotted out the moon.
Hundreds of people lined downtown streets to watch the inferno, filling Heron Street after police officers closed it down. They pushed strollers, chatted on cell phones and snapped photos.
Carlberg said the contents of the building — floor covering, cabinetry, a truck and other equipment — added fuel to the immense fire. No citizens or firefighters reported any injuries.
About 45 firefighters responded from Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Cosmopolis, Montesano and Grays Harbor Fire District 2, he said. A crew remained at the building throughout the night, providing security and extinguishing hot spots.
This morning, charred wood and debris were strewn in the street, the air smelled like a campfire while firefighters and Aberdeen officials continued to block off the streets near the building. Water poured out of the debris onto the sidewalks as firefighters hosed down the inside to prevent flare-ups.
At the scene, Fire Capt. Rich Malizia said crews had started an initial assessment and continued to monitor the unstable structure.
“There are fractures all the way around the building,” Malizia said. He pointed to the eastern side of the building, which had a section that was bowed out, saying he was particularly concerned for its stability.
Carlberg said crews still have a lot of overhaul and site clean up to do today. They plan to work with the insurance company to install fencing around the building to prevent any injuries from falling debris.
“We will not be sending any investigators inside until we know it’s safe,” he said.
The value of the building and its contents was not known this morning. Fire officials plan to meet with Moore, his employees and other witnesses to get their statements.
Moore said the building seemed fine when he left Tuesday evening. He received a phone call about an hour later from his son, saying a downtown building was smoking.
“I just can’t believe it,” he said Tuesday night as the fire raged before him.
His friends gathered around, offering handshakes and embraces. They patted his shoulders, repeating, “It’ll be all right. It’ll be all right.”
Moore started Moore’s Furniture in 1992. He took over Stouffer’s floor covering 10 years later and bought the I Street building in 2007.
As he watched the flames shoot out of the windows and roof, he guessed he may move his headquarters to his empty Broadway Street building, which he closed earlier this year.
He said he had contacted his insurance company, but he worried about his lost records, inventory and upcoming jobs.
“All my customers I’m losing,” he said, sniffing back tears between words. “That’s what I’m worried about.”
Flames stretched higher throughout the evening, burning out back walls and clawing out each of the windows. Emergency lights covered the surrounding blocks in red and white as police officers pushed the growing crowd back behind yellow tape.
Moore stared into the flickering inferno.
“I just don’t know what I’ll do in the morning,” he said.