Puyallup auto parts store burns in 2-alarm fire
Fire broke out at the Hagen's Auto Parts store at 1526 River Road just after 3 a.m., fire officials said. Firefighters arrived to find flames shooting through the roof and called in a second alarm.
Firefighters had to take a defensive stand and only fight the fire from the outside due to the large flames and weight of materials stored on the second floor. Freezing fog also presented a challenge.
It took about three hours to bring the fire under control. A part of the roof had collapsed, further hindering efforts for firefighters to get inside.
Hagen's has been in the building for almost 65 years and dealt with rare, hard to find antique auto parts.
"It's an icon in Puyallup," said Puyallup City Council member Ron Hansen. "It's one of those destination businesses that people come to."
The treasure store housed old copper asbestos gaskets. Behind the tranny fluid, you might have been able to find non-detergent motor oil.
"Everybody on the West Coast and further knew of Hagen Auto Parts," said Puyallup City Council member John Knutsen. "If you couldn't get it anywhere else, you could get it here."
Local resident Tim Hansen said he doesn't know where he'll get parts for his '57 Chrysler Hemi engine anymore.
"Mostly nowhere," he said. "These guys were the source for everything for those of us who had old cars. They were friendly, knowledgeable and had the parts we needed."
"Those parts up there, you are not going to replace them," said Dave Secrist, owner of a '35 Ford. "You can't just order more. These were parts from back in the day, you know."
No one was inside when the fire broke out, and no one was injured.
The owner was on a cruise, on his first vacation in years when flames broke out.
Employee John Hodges had just decorated the store for the holidays on Thursday. On Friday, he was in utter shock.
"Man, I can't believe it. This place has been here forever and he's (the owner has) been like a dad to me," he said.
Investigators will have to wait until the building is stabilized before starting to look for a cause.
Potential damage is estimated at over $500,000.