Everett Fire investigators have issued their final report on the 3-Alarm fire earlier this month in the 1800 block of Hewitt. The official word is “undetermined”. They know where the fire started but not how. Here’s the final report issued today from the City of Everett…
Police and Fire Department investigators have concluded their investigation into the Nov. 8 fatal fire at a downtown building in the 1800 block of Hewitt Avenue. While investigators have pinpointed the location of where the fire started in apartment unit 6, they have deemed the cause to be undetermined.
“We were not able to determine the precise cause of the fire because we discovered multiple items in the area where the fire started that could have contributed to the blaze,” Fire Marshal Rick Robinson said. “There’s no indication that the fire was of suspicious origin.”
The fire started in the same apartment unit where rescue workers located the body of 61-year-old Michael D. Beard, the man who died in the fire. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner determined the cause of death as smoke inhalation, and the manner of death is accidental.
The office building at 1812 Hewitt Avenue remains tagged as “unsafe structure/limited entry.” And, 1820 Hewitt Avenue remains as “dangerous structure/do not enter.” And, the city’s code enforcement division had officially declared 1820 Hewitt Avenue as “condemned,” which prohibits occupancy of the structure and starts the official process toward ordering the building to be properly restored and brought back into compliance or demolish the structure.
Investigators have estimated the loss of the building is $1 million. Value of contents is not yet known.
November 26, 2012
Downtown Everett, Everett, Everett Fire