-- Upgrade the crew-accountability system so commanders have a better idea where individual firefighters are. The shopping center also was not destroyed by the fire, as Fowler had claimed. Obviously, it is not safe to be in the Fire Department.''. 8rdWT'eL~.u"A=9]>313X3-$e}u,gmg664$EzL*LZ_j_]Xy[?Xs N/]|msk_WfA2)oz-di2|mj|5ej8eE7[Q|IM%xf)|6\ k`. The system, he said, meets NFPA standards. After that, the building was unapproachable. However, there are still many unanswered questions around this case. Before the explosion, "there were tall flames big flames, maybe two stories tall," and firefighters were attacking the blaze on the roof as well as inside the building's main level. 1039 Elliott Ave W. Seattle, WA 98119. https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Seattle_Arsonist. Instead, they determined that transients most likely started the fire accidentally while trying to keep warm. The man driving the Mercedes was between thirty-five and forty years old (in 1992), with gray hair, mustache, beard, and receding hairline. On March 25, 1990, the Seattle Fire Department set a test fire in an empty shopping center; the entire complex was destroyed within minutes. 190 Queen Anne Ave N Ste 200, Seattle, WA 98109. While the crowds were looking at the fire in progress, the man was apparently walking away from the area, paying no attention to the large fire nearby. Website Directions More Info. Lumber Lumber-Wholesale Home Improvements (1) BBB Rating: A+. 9:44 Bower sees fire intensifying, heat and smoke fill Section B where Johnson and Meredith are. The other three, men ages 28, 34 and 41, were in satisfactory condition and were to be kept overnight for observation, Love said. Some firefighters were shooting water on the exterior while Johnson and Meredith, inside the building, moved toward the same area. Investigators. That does not necessarily mean the blaze was set accidentally, he added. The third mistake was when Battalion Chief Hargrove, commanding the front of the building, misread the helmet number. "The conclusion that it was arson and started with the use of those high-temperature accelerant chemicals was based on the information investigators had available at that time," Taylor said. Iris Schweizer. << /Type /Page /Parent 3 0 R /Resources 6 0 R /Contents 4 0 R /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] Carman reported that, even though buckets of fuel were placed around support columns [of the shopping center] with the intent of maximizing damage, the building suffered no collapse and the fire didnt even burn through the ceiling. Unsolved Mysteries Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. Real Name: Unknown Dever was released from jail and eventually sued Fowler for $1.5 million in damages (he lost the first case but appealed, I can't find the result of that appeal though). -, Press J to jump to the feed. The report also, for the first time, said Johnson and his partner were partly responsible for the tragedy. More than 100 city firefighters fought the five-alarm blaze, which was finally declared contained at 1 a.m. today, some six hours after it was reported. Fasteners-Industrial, Investigators also found that a 440-volt electrical line was still linked to a power panel and may have been the source of sparks. The episode made Fowlers findings seem like established fact: clearly, a dangerous and cunning arsonist was on the loose. << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text ] /ColorSpace << /Cs1 7 0 R >> /Font << /F2.0 9 0 R 5 customer reviews of Blackstock Lumber Co.. One of the best Furniture Stores, Retail business at 1039 Elliott Ave W, Seattle WA, 98119 United States. They had knocked the flames down to half their original height when the explosion came, Berkey said. One man was from Illinois and had a criminal history that included being hired as a professional arsonist. In February 1995, a new investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms into the Blackstock lumberyard fire determined that it was an accident. The arson fires have claimed the lives of at least two firefighters, Matt Johnson and Paul Heidenreich, who died in a 1982 warehouse fire. The fire departments arson squad chief, Capt. SEATTLE The Blackstock lumber yard at 1039 Elliott Ave. W. has sold for $7.5 million, according to King County records. Relatives of the firefighters [Read More], SEATTLE (AP) Had firefighters checked a burning warehouse more thoroughly, they would have known where the flames were centered before four men died, an internal report has concluded. Service honors firefighter who died in blaze, Firemen's distress calls weren't heard at scene, Seattle fined $102,400 in firefighter's death, Deadly blaze in Seattle similar to Spokane fire, Firefighter's Widow Sues Seattle Fire Department, Arsonists used high-tech fuel in 9 state fires, officials say, Weyco fire lab hot on trail of arson cases, Blackstock Arson To Get TV Exposure -- 2 Men Linked To Fire That Killed 1 In 1989, High Temperature Accelerant Fires by Steven Carman, State agency says city of Seattle withholding records of fire probe, Blackstock Fire Wasn't Arson -- New Probe Makes Different Finding, Lumber Fire Likely Set By Transients - Report On Blackstock Company Blaze Rules Out High-Tech Arson, 25 Years Ago Today - Firefighters from Seattle and Puyallup torched a Puyallup building, Reddit Discussion of the Seattle Arsonist. The report explains that numerous failures led to the breakdown of the department's system of accounting for firefighters. Taylor said communications were fine at Thursday night's fire. It was basically an abandoned shell of a building, he said. This unidentified arsonist has been connected to over twenty fires in and around Seattle. Is it protected from the elements. Jim Blackstock, co-owner of the lumber company, said he was visited about three months ago by an ATF agent who indicated officials no longer believed the fire was arson. See how Ashby Lumber saves significant hours per week, per employee using Handle, How CESG uses Handle to protect their credit and project payments, Friedmans transformed their credit processes by eliminating heavy manual work with Handle, Mitigating Credit Risks During and After Covid-19. Situated on a sharp hill, they commanded a 50 acre pasture that sloped down to a shallow stream in the farm fields. Crews continued to douse hot spots in the gutted building, and a crane arrived about 6:30 a.m. to remove dangerous debris so investigators could enter the structure. The department's fire-investigation unit re-investigated the fire, and has withdrawn its finding that the blaze was started by someone using chemicals, Georgia Taylor, Seattle Fire Department information officer, said today. 2. Cathie Wood, chief executive at ARK Invest, reiterated her support for cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ether on Monday, despite several digital asset companies collapsing last year and fresh . The most likely of these was tested at an abandoned shopping center in Puyallup, Washington. In the end, we may not be able to come up with an absolute determination, he said. An explosion and raging flames at the warehouse occupied by Mary Pang's Food Products Inc. prevented other firefighters from rescuing the missing. Marmor ist de Willkommen bei Baustark aus Wiesbaden Fire Chief Claude Harris and other fire officials spent the night with families of the missing firefighters, Taylor said. And he didnt look like either of the sketches of suspects in the Blackstock fire. "They can match your existing victorian molding for less than you might think." 9:25 Engine 20 with Lt. Matthew Johnson and Firefighter Bill Meredith arrives. If youve never been involved in building a new Frankfurt home or doing a house renovation, youll be amazed at the variety of Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany building supplies and manufacturers that exist today. So the King of Arsonists case wasn't the first time Fowler had been off base in claiming arson where there was none. Thats nice to know, that somebody wasnt out to target us, he said. A radio station this morning reported that bodies of the four were found in the building, but that was not confirmed by the Associated Press. In the next four years, four more suspected HTA blazes impacted Seattle, culminating with the deadly Blackstock Lumber fire in September 1989 in which a Seattle Fire Lieutenant died. Taylor refused to comment on the report, and police officials could not immediately be reached for comment this morning. The missing firefighters were not identified. And that, apparently, was as far as the investigation got by September 1992, when the Unsolved Mysteries episode aired. Industry: Lumber products Printer Friendly View Address: 1039 Elliott Ave W Seattle, WA, 98119-3609 United States He told KING-TV he called 911. 1 Mt. Blackstock Lumber Co Inc is located in Seattle, WA. 4 0 obj There was at least an awareness but I'm not sure to what extent. If Fowler's intent was to obscure the cause of a single fire getting out of control, why not limit the lie to that one instance? Asked how effective those standards were in view of the fact that Johnson was the second firefighter to have died at a blaze in two years, Harris said: ``It appears it has not worked here in the Seattle Fire Department.''. Or was there a more sinister reason behind the creation of the King? Darrell Johnson, father of the fallen firefighter, said he thinks the claims of arson and high-temperature accelerants in the Blackstock fire were used by the fire department to cover up it's inability to determine the true cause of the fire and divert attention from how the department fought the Blackstock fire. Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. A Hart-Crowser Phase I Environmental Assessment (1989) identified previous occupants of the property including the Seattle Lumber Company (1910s to 1930s), Blackstock Lumber (1930s to 1980s), and the Humane Society (1930s to 1970s). Periodic reviews are required when institutional controls are required at a site. 9:47 Flames are 100 feet at corners of building as Johnson, Meredith radio for help. We have printed copies of our Stock Catalog in our store . 110. Pang is aware that a team of federal agents and an [Read More], Plea may be in works for Pang SEATTLE -- A plea agreement may be in the works for Martin Pang, accused of setting a 1995 warehouse blaze in which four Seattle firefighters died, including James T. Brown, 25, of Port Orchard. The report said Johnson and Meredith separated in the smoke-filled building, contrary to both department and national safety standards. Bill became lost and disoriented in the fire but was eventually able to escape. 10:25 Large ball of blue flame blows out front of Section B, singeing firefighter on ladder fleeing roof. We always figured it was just bums cooking hot dogs, a police source told the newspaper. 9:23 Deputy Chief Rod Bower arrives, directs aggressive attack from outside and inside the building. Larry Farrar confirmed arson threats had been made to the company but did not give details, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported today. Start Your Free Trial *Contacts and Principals counts are estimates and may differ from the actual number of contacts available in D&B Hoovers. 1039 Elliott Ave W. Seattle, WA 98119. ``I think they kind of glossed over some things and dwelled heavily on some other things.''. On September 9, 1989, fire claimed the life of a Seattle fire lieutenant at the Blackstock Lumber Company. What are you looking for? At first, officials believed that the fire was caused by a vagrant setting a small fire to keep warm. The most devastating air raid on Darmstadt occurred on the night of 11/12 September 1944 when No. Interest in the King of Arsonists began after the Blackstock Lumber Company fire of September 9, 1989. A member of the hard rock band "Dr. Fowler believes that the arsonist actually hires other people to set the fires. By clicking Accept I agree to this, as further described in the Houzz Cookie Policy. RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Martin Pang is anxious to return to Seattle to see his family and face accusations that he started the fire that killed four firefighters, his Brazilian lawyer said. The ATF study, which also has not been made public, studied Blackstock and 24 other possible HTA fires. The only fire that produced eyewitnesses was the Blackstock lumberyard fire. The fires set by this arsonist were especially dangerous because the oxygen in their water only made the fire burn faster and hotter. For a start, Steve Carman believes that the Carpet Exchange Warehouse fire was deliberately set and that some HTA might have been used there, possibly thermite. Investigators concluded that "high temperature accelerants" were not the cause. A vacated extension of West Mercer Street cuts across the northern half of the property. The problem is that the King of Arsonists never existed in the first place. The man seen leaving the fire was 6'0", well-dressed, in his early or mid thirties (in 1992), with an athletic build, dark complexion, and dark hair. A press conference was scheduled for 10 a.m. today. Handy Andy Rent-A-Tool. At first, fire investigators assumed that the fire had been started accidentally by a vagrant that was trying to keep warm. The fire burned the lumber warehouse to the ground and was responsible for the death of a Seattle firefighter, 32-year-old Matt Johnson. 2 0 obj 6 0 obj The fuel, which the Seattle Fire Department has kept secret, was a mixture of several common ingredients that were readily available. However, the fire soon spread to other parts of the lumberyard and became one of the biggest fires in recent Seattle history. And I'm a big fan of Unsolved Mysteries and I've wanted to write about some of the more interesting segments for a while. Behind the house the land pitched sharply to the fast-running Tyger River on the north and northeast. Pat Johnson, Matthew Johnson's mother, received a copy of the NFPA report late yesterday, after Harris' press conference, even though the association had suggested the department share it with the firefighter's family before any public release. Fire crews pulled back after the explosion and floor collapse, re-entered the building for about a half hour to search for the missing crew, then were forced to pull back again because "it was very dangerous," Taylor said. Blackstock Lumber Co Inc * 1 Principals See who the company's key decision makers are 10 See similar companies for insight and prospecting. "Carman has shown that there is not sufficient evidence to conclude that all of the 25 fires reported to be HTA are proven, that there is the possibility of alternative methods of those being started," Dietz said. Seattle Fire Chief Claude Harris outlined four major goals for addressing the problems cited in a National Fire Protection Association report on the Blackstock Lumber Co. fire: -- Improve communications at fire scenes by creating a special communications team and placing a communications van at all major emergencies. Authorities are currently investigating suspicious insurance claims for fires across the nation for connections to the arsonist. Johnson, in fact, was still inside, lying near the end of the hose he and Meredith had dragged in. Carpet & Rug Dealers, View supplier info & more! In 1993, Paul Keller was arrested for several arson fires in Seattle. It wasnt a good look for the arson investigation team. Fowler retired in 1992, just before the Unsolved Mysteries episode aired, and he passed away in 2016. In the episode, the King of Arsonists was called the most dangerous and clever arsonist in American history. I'm even willing to believe that Fowler himself genuinely did think there was a dastardly King of Arsonists roaming North America with his powerful mystery substance. Fowler first encountered the arsonist in 1984 when Seattle's Carpet Exchange Warehouse burned down in less than twenty minutes. The van will be staffed by three people who will monitor radio and other firefighting communications. Find Reviews, Ratings, Directions, Business Hours, Contact Information and book online appointment. Between the time the van was put into service Dec. 17, 1971, and the time of the Blackstock fire, the van had been taken to fewer than 15 fires. The last Seattle firefighter killed in the line of duty was Matthew Johnson. Website. Investigator Dennis Fowler, however, discovered a pattern in the ruins that matched the signature of a serial arsonist that he had been tracking for years. Get Blackstock Lumber Co. Inc reviews, rating, hours, phone number, directions and more. Family-run Blackstock Lumber on Elliott Ave W in #Interbay, after 105 years in business (since 1912), closed this summer. King of Arsonists sounds pretty badass, but Emperor of Arsonists has a better ring to it. Deputy Chief Rod Bower was the first commander on the scene and, from a front corner of the building, initiated the strategies. 46:p)gLFJ>1n~@Bkxqm/x5buD0}ei(',ueQ!_+j A new report on the Blackstock lumber company fire in 1989 in which a Seattle firefighter died indicates the blaze may have been set by transients and apparently was not a high-tech arson fire. g,6:nnvp{S1SrIX+zEqG*^ B~^ivk^-zf0OvdS:@:IvXt*%NenH2E5+{tpi;=jv^f?C?3i9FbV3^RS 9NZ2[D.Ka{tk{u[H6?^?rHQJb8Fe8{)$+l4[DQ+4QrU=C +Rwl-E}W,`nLU}}Q6gv{qwk A fifth firefighter sustained a minor neck injury. The former Blackstock Lumber Company building previously occupied the central portion of the property, with a railroad spur located along the west side of the building footprint. The 50-page report blamed Johnson's death on the department's methods of accounting for firefighters at large fires and specifically mentioned the misidentified helmet. Bravo to you for this excellent write up. It generated temperatures between 5000 and 7000 degrees, three times hotter than a normal fire. However, authorities have yet to close all of the cases allegedly linked to the "King of Arsonists". Thats still hotter than a normal firebut then the Puyallup fire was set with 462 pounds of accelerant according to Carman. Most of the HTA arsons attributed to him werent arsons at all. Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location. 45. . Energy Conservation Products & Services, Renton Location (425) 390-7014 2940 East Valley RoadRenton, WA98057 Marysville Location 5303 110th Pl NEMarysville , WA98271 Opening Hours: Blackstock Lumber Co Inc. Lumber Plywood & Veneers. Johnson's body was not found until 1 a.m. Floor Materials, The family of Matt Johnson, the firefighter who died at Blackstock, had long contended that Fowlers claim that the fire was an arson carried out by a master criminal was a coverup designed to hide the fact that the fire department ignored safety rules at Blackstock, leading directly to Johnsons death. Spokane blows out 10th-seeded Bellevue in physical game; Gonzaga Prep falls to Olympia, Spokane Valley tax preparer has misled clients that he is an attorney, Washington Attorney General's Office says, 'I'm just trying to find a spot here': Former Gonzaga star Rui Hachimura adjusts to life as a Los Angeles Laker, Movie Review: 'Jesus Revolution' a sanitized, scattered story about religious movement. And Carman found that, of the HTA arsons that were likely deliberately set, some were fires set with standard accelerants which burned hotter because of certain materials stored at the site of the fire, while other possible HTA fires had any one of a number of possible HTA accelerants involved. Another eyewitness claimed that she saw a suspicious man after the fire was set. It was never concluded if the fire was accidental or arson. After testimony from Fowler, a church council member named George Dever was convicted of arson and manslaughter. Was Dennis Fowler just one in a long line of arson investigators to make mistakes? A bigger problem, though, came when the Blackstock fire was re-examined by the Seattle Fire Department and a team of independent investigators. The Blackstock Lumber Co. fire that killed firefighter Lt. Matthew Johnson and injured another in September 1989, was not arson after all, the Seattle Fire Department says. The code does not now cover safety factors in vacant buildings. The Fire Department was cited for two ``serious, willful'' violations, each of which drew a maximum penalty of $50,000, for failing to start a prompt search for Johnson and for not keeping proper track of individual crew members. A new report that includes a review of 25 fires thought to be HTA fires is being prepared by Steve Carman, a division agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. He was driving along the road of the lumberyard when he noticed a 1970s or 1980s Mercedes coming out of a parking lot at the lumberyard. Hard to tell if Dennis was power crazy, or well-intentioned but flawed. One firefighter died and two others were treated for heat exhaustion. in Washington 98109, the location GPS coordinates are: 47.6062095 (latitude), -122.3320708 (longitude). Thirty-two-year-old Matt Johnson and his partner Bill Meredith were two of the first firefighters inside the building. stream Oh, and about the Puyallup fire burning the shopping center to the ground in minutes? back to Schedule. Its been recently argued that "just about everything we thought we knew about arson is wrong", and several fires long thought to be arson have now been revealed to be accidental in origin. The cause of death was not immediately determined. Hargrove has Meredith taken to medics, then hospital. He also did not match either of the sketches of the suspects. However, the fires that he set usually used gasoline and were not as sophisticated as the ones allegedly set by the arsonist. Hargrove's misidentification becomes important because it occurred at a time when firefighters might still have been able to enter the building. Gifts processed in this system are not tax deductible, but are predominately used to help meet the local financial requirements needed to receive national matching-grant funds. After Blackstock, firefighters also criticized commanders for sending crews into a vacant building. {xO$S]%&7g>r=g8` The department had requested the review by the association. A witness, Charles A. Berkey, who lives nearby, described the 7:40 p.m. explosion as a "whomp" sound, rather than a loud blast. One factor that made the arsonist difficult to track was that he used a fuel of unknown origin; an accelerant that left behind no residue, called a "high temperature accelerant" or HTA. We conduct periodic reviews about every five years. << /Length 11 0 R /N 3 /Alternate /DeviceRGB /Filter /FlateDecode >> Based on the new information, the fire has been downsized from HTA to a finding of undetermined, Risdon said. With the witnesses providing two very different descriptions, investigators felt that one of the suspects might be the King, and the other might be the person hired to start the fire. The fires have taken place in Spokane, Yakima, Seattle, and Bellingham, as well as in California, Florida, and British Columbia. Its always amazing in these situations how one investigator is able to go so far, basically unchecked. Fowler sounds like an imaginative person who dreamed up a pet theory which brought him attention and prestige. Renton Location (425) 390-7014 2940 East Valley RoadRenton, WA98057 Marysville Location 5303 110th Pl NEMarysville , WA98271 Opening Hours: A legit old school lumber yard with an in-house #millwork shop, #Blackstock. I can reject non-essential cookies by clicking Manage Preferences. At yesterday's press conference, Harris said, ``The communication between the firefighters and officers at the scene of the Blackstock fire was not as effective as it could have been and contributed to a breakdown in the transfer of information. Thanks very much. The firefighters had a half hour's supply of air when they were last seen about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Seattle Fire Department spokeswoman Georgia Taylor said.