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FRIDAY HARBOR FIRE

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List of stories about May 9 Friday Harbor fire

Fire razes five businesses in Friday Harbor

Kelley Balcomb photo

last updated 1a.m. 05/10/02 - posted 05/09/01
A blaze rapidly gutted Friday Harbor Grocery and four other businesses yesterday, May 9, 2002 but about 100 firefighters from four island departments prevented the fire from spreading to adjacent buildings in the town's downtown core.

"It was a tough fight but it was a good job," said Friday Harbor Fire Chief Bob Low. "They (firefighters) saved the rest of that block."

Nancy Vejvoda, a former Friday Harbor Grocery worker, watched with hundreds of other San Juan Islanders as the grocery store, the Hungry Clam restaurant, Friday Harbor Souvenir and Gift Shop, the San Juan Florist shop and the Mystical Mermaid gift shop burned.

Sharon Kivisto photo

Friday Harbor firefighters use the arterial fire engine to pour water on Friday Harbor grocery. Sharon Kivisto photo

Kelley Balcomb-Bartok photo

Friday Harbor Grocery bursts into flames and is destroyed in the fire. Kelley Balcomb-Bartok photo

Matt Pranger photo

Hungry Clam and Friday Harbor Souvenir Shop were gutted in the blaze. Matt Pranger photo

A boat with firefighters from other islands onboard rushes to the scene to help fight the fire.arriving.
Pat Mann photo

"It's a very sad day," said Nancy Vejvoda, summing up the thoughts of San Juan Island residents' thoughts about one of the worst fires in the town's business core.

The cause of the fire was unknown yesterday. Members of a regional task force were arriving from the mainland. They will begin an investigation today (Friday), said San Juan County Fire Marshal Rick Galer.

The fire broke out about 3 p.m. Thursday, May 9 on First Street between A and Spring. Penny Fitzgerald and her daughter Lisa were in San Juan Florist when they saw smoke and heard an explosion. They ran outside and dialed 911. "I went back in to get my purse and I couldn't even see," Fitzgerald said of the blistering fast blaze.

Firefighters entered Friday Harbor Grocery in the upper and lower level but "the smoke was so heavy they couldn't see the source of the fire. We had to pull everybody out," Low said. "The floor was burning. It was way too dangerous."

Town of Friday Harbor and San Juan Fire District No. 3 firefighters responded to the fire and received relief from firefighters who arrived by private boats from Orcas and Lopez islands. All the firefighters battled the blaze. Their service was appreciated.

"The firemen were great," Fitzgerald said. "There was so much underway there was nothing they could do (to save the building."

REST OF STORY and MORE PHOTOS

Pat Mann photo

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