TUMWATER, Wash. — A three-alarm fire burned a building at the former Olympia Brewery site in Tumwater.
The fire at Custer Way and Capitol Boulevard Southeast was called out about 2 a.m. Monday after a security guard noticed smoke.
The flames grew in a portion that housed offices and spared the century-old brewhouse building that's currently being renovated.
When firefighters arrived, the building was engulfed in flames. A wall later collapsed.
Firefighters were still at the scene at least 10 hours after the flames started.
Water-logged walls and timber are still collapsing there. Longtime residents like Wendy Carlson say its sad to see.
Carlson's father once worked there, and she had previously been inside the building that caught fire.
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Neighbors gathered on a nearby bridge to watch firefighters pour hundreds of gallons of water on hot spots.
"I think lots of people who grew up here have memories of this place. They used to do big picnics back in the day, and the clock used to go off at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day," said Carlson.
Neighbors and firefighters said the vacant building has attracted homeless to the site, but the cause is under investigation.
"It's my understanding that there's no power to the building, so we can speculate on what the cause of the fire is, but it's too early to comment on that," said Jim McGavra with the Tumwater Fire Department.
No one was hurt.