Fire at WA Printing Shop Result of Arson
YAKIMA, WA—The fire that struck Abbott's Printing on Jan. 28 has been ruled arson, the Yakima Herald-Republic said, and may be connected to a similar fire that was set near by earlier that night.
Firefighters responded to Abbott's Printing at 4:30 a.m., where the found a trash container and recycling bin on fire near the shop. They extinguished the blaze, which had scorched one wall of the business, but had to return three hours later as smoke filled the building, forcing the 26 employees outside. A portion of the fire, still burning undetected in a moisture barrier between the walls, had worked its way into an adjacent wall and the second-story floor.
The company estimates it lost about $25,000 worth of equipment, the newspaper reported. The cost to repair the damage to the structure was unknown.
The blaze is under investigation. However, prior to the initial response at Abbott's Printing, firefighters responded to a trash can fire several blocks away. Yakima Fire Capt. Tom Schneider told the Herald-Republic that the fires may be connected.