Fire Destroys Historic Johnson's Millwork Tacoma, Injures Firefighter

A major fire broke out at Johnson's Millwork, a historic manufacturing plant in Tacoma on South Tacoma Way, late Sunday evening. The fire, which started on the exterior and burned below ground level in the crawl space, made it difficult for firefighters to access the flames directly, so they fought the fire from the outside. The building, constructed in 1926, was engulfed in flames fueled by windy conditions, and smoke was visible from nearby highways including Interstate 5 and State Route 16. Fire crews spent about 12 hours battling the blaze and extinguishing hot spots into Monday morning. A firefighter sustained a minor injury but did not require hospitalization. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.