Although the Seattle Fire Department kept the fuel and its formula secret, it did state that the fuel was a compound of several commonly-available ingredients, but (in the words of the Unsolved Mysteries episode) only an expert with sufficient knowledge of chemistry would be able to combine them. Obviously, it is not safe to be in the Fire Department.''. It's clear from the NFPA report that there was a lack of communication from commanders at the rear, who could see large parts of the building in flames. The seller was an LLC associated with the family-run Blackstock. On September 9, 1989, fire claimed the life of a Seattle fire lieutenant at the Blackstock Lumber Company. It was never concluded if the fire was accidental or arson. Some electrical power apparently remained in the building as well, which could have caused the observed pyrotechnics, the report said. The fire burned the lumber warehouse to the ground and was responsible for the death of a Seattle firefighter, 32-year-old Matt Johnson. A fifth firefighter sustained a minor neck injury. One firefighter died and two others were treated for heat exhaustion. 10 0 obj 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. 11:48 Fire under control, interior search started. A press conference was scheduled for 10 a.m. today. Extra Notes: This case first aired on the September 30, 1992 episode. Johnson and Meredith enter the building. 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. -- Upgrade the crew-accountability system so commanders have a better idea where individual firefighters are. Fowler sounds like an imaginative person who dreamed up a pet theory which brought him attention and prestige. Blackstock Lumber Co Inc is located in Seattle, WA. 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. MOULDINGS Blackstock Lumber Co., Inc. 1039 Elliott Avenue West Seattle, WA 98119 Phone (206) . 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. 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. 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. Lastly, an expert investigator for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms named Steve Carman started a review of the fires identified by Fowler and his team as high-temperature accelerant (HTA) arsons. The van was not taken to the Blackstock fire.). Under hypnosis, the two eyewitnesses described two different men; both are not considered suspects, but police would like to question them. Fowler argued that he saw similar burn patterns in the Blackstock fire. A witness, Charles A. Berkey, who lives nearby, described the 7:40 p.m. explosion as a "whomp" sound, rather than a loud blast. The case was settled in 1992 for $750,000. Read through customer reviews, check out their past projects and then request a quote from the best lumber and building supplies near you. One suspect was seen driving a late-model Mercedes away from the lumber yard just before the fire started, and the other was seen walking away from the fire paying no attention to the blaze just as a crowd started forming. Three of the injured firefighters had been near the missing crew. Learn more about this supplier. 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. Fowler first encountered the arsonist in 1984 when Seattle's Carpet Exchange Warehouse burned down in less than twenty minutes. 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. 2. Janitors Equipment & Supplies, The fires have taken place in Spokane, Yakima, Seattle, and Bellingham, as well as in California, Florida, and British Columbia. YEARS IN BUSINESS (206) 284-1313. Finally, a 440-volt electrical line still connected to a live power panel is believed to have helped spread the fire and cause sparks and "pyrotechnics" seen by witnesses. No, this is just a hobby, although I used to do a lot of documentary research so I'm used to writing articles like this. The shopping center also was not destroyed by the fire, as Fowler had claimed. When fire crews arrived Wednesday night, the warehouse at the lumber yard near the palm tree was fully engulfed, Bell said. Federal agents and police Capt. 11:12 Deputy Chief Richard Colombi, in staging area, told something is wrong, given Johnson's radio, says Johnson will show up. Spectis Moulders Inc. offers fire retardant materials, Website. It was basically an abandoned shell of a building, he said. There has been only one confirmed HTA fire, and the study identified only four potential ones, which did not include Blackstock, said ATF special agent Steve Carman, who wrote the study. The man had been wearing all of his protective gear and breathing equipment, Bhang said. Dever was released from jail and eventually sued Fowler for $1.5 million in damages (he lost the first case but appealed, I can't find the result of that appeal though). 110. The investigation unit has not, however, reclassified the fire as accidental, Taylor said. The Seattle Police Department changed the cause of the fire to "undetermined". https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Seattle_Arsonist. Was Dennis Fowler just one in a long line of arson investigators to make mistakes? There wasnt any insurance on the building, water had been turned off. OPEN NOW . Matt left behind a wife and a fifteen-month-old son. One problem came in the form of a man named Paul Keller. However, there are still many unanswered questions around this case. Blackstock Lumber occupied a portion of the south side of the property, (south of West Mercer Street). Fasteners-Industrial, A continent-wide spree by an unidentified mastermind is just too fantastic to make a good cover up. A member of the hard rock band "Dr. After testimony from Fowler, a church council member named George Dever was convicted of arson and manslaughter. While the crowds were looking at the fire in progress, the man was apparently walking away from the area, paying no attention to the large fire nearby. xWN@WeaY(Rk$%J}xs{{rm%5"v\{X3U$(Ypk8ASSNpoAqN To obtain documents not available electronically, you will need to make a. 10:25 Large ball of blue flame blows out front of Section B, singeing firefighter on ladder fleeing roof. Learn more about this supplier. There was no immediate determination of cause or estimate of damage in the intense, smoky fire that destroyed the former Blackstock Lumber Co. building late Saturday. We have printed copies of our Stock Catalog in our store . 110. 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. Or was Fowler simply a victim of bad science and a willingness to seek links where links didnt really exist? At his trial, he admitted to setting one of the fires attributed to the "King of Arsonists". Behind the house the land pitched sharply to the fast-running Tyger River on the north and northeast. The city fire department set up a tracking system for firefighters after the Blackstock fire. Fire Department's Safety Fines Slashed Mar 7, 1991 Dee Norton Record fines the state levied against the Seattle Fire Department for safety violations at the 1989 Blackstock Lumber Co.. The subject property is located at 545 to 631 Elliott Avenue West, in Seattle, Washington. Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. The department appealed the 1987 findings to King County Superior Court. In February 1993, Seattle police announced that they were looking for two men who they wanted to question regarding the Blackstock lumberyard fire. Meredith said he thinks the NFPA report unfairly criticizes Johnson, who is ``not here to respond. By clicking Accept I agree to this, as further described in the Houzz Cookie Policy. Blackstock Lumber Co. Inc at 1039 Elliott Ave W, Seattle, WA 98119. Was im Jahre 2002 mit Ausbesserungs- un Spanndecken und Zubehr Online-Shop fr Privat- und Geschftskunden. 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. CUTLINE: CRAIG FUJII / SEATTLE TIMES: INVESTIGATORS SEARCH THE SCENE OF THE BLACKSTOCK FIRE IN SEPTEMBER 1989. Matthew's family filed a lawsuit against the city. Open website. In retrospect some of his findings seem ludicrouseven fires started by rocket fuel dont reach 7000 degrees, for exampleor at best a stretch (his claim that the arsonist hired someone else to set the fires never appeared to have any evidentiary basis). 9:23 Deputy Chief Rod Bower arrives, directs aggressive attack from outside and inside the building. 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). The Seattle Lumber Experts Seattle Location (206) 623-5010 1919 4th Avenue SouthSeattle, WA98134 Products & Materials | Millwork, Shop Builders : Roofing, Paving and construction services. Hargrove has Meredith taken to medics, then hospital. But Keller was no master criminal: his usual method of starting fires was to throw a common accelerant like gasoline on the side of a building, light it with a match, and run away. The King allegedly used homemade accelerants to make his fires burn much hotter than a typical building fireup to an astonishing 7000 degrees Fahrenheit. Subsequently, the Department embarked on an fervent attempt to 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? -, Press J to jump to the feed. 6 0 obj Recently, investigators have found new information, including the possibility that a quantity of lumber was stored in the building and may have helped to boost the temperature of the fire. The van will be staffed by three people who will monitor radio and other firefighting communications. The controls are usually listed in environmental covenants recorded with the county. They had knocked the flames down to half their original height when the explosion came, Berkey said. However, an arson investigator named Dennis Fowler soon claimed that patterns seen in the rubble of the fire were reminiscent of a 1984 fire at the nearby Carpet Exchange Warehouse. The Blackstock Lumber fire occurred at approximately 10 pm on September 9th, 1989. I saw the King of Arsonists segment the other day and thought I'd write about it. This resulted in conflicting attack strategies.''. Website. His assessment was based on his belief that the fire was confined to a large shed he could see on a rear corner. 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. 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. The men were identified after tips came in regarding the sketches of possible suspects in the case. Fowler retired in 1992, just before the Unsolved Mysteries episode aired, and he passed away in 2016. Keller continued to set over 100 fires in the Seattle area before he was caught the following year. << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> Harris wants to work with the city to broaden existing codes to ensure that vacant buildings are maintained in safe condition. In Sept 1989, a 4-alarm fire broke out at Blackstock, one of the biggest blazes in recent history, killing firefighter Lt. Matthew Johnson. 9:25 Engine 20 with Lt. Matthew Johnson and Firefighter Bill Meredith arrives. The lack of oxygen and intense heat left Matt unable to move. The Carpet Exchange fire was a brutally intense fire that reduced the warehouse to ashes in 20 minutes and was hot enough to boil the concrete floor of the facility. Matthew's family filed a lawsuit against the city. Renton Location (425) 390-7014 2940 East Valley RoadRenton, WA98057 Marysville Location 5303 110th Pl NEMarysville , WA98271 Opening Hours: Larry Farrar confirmed arson threats had been made to the company but did not give details, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported today. The scenario was laid out in the association's long-awaited report, released yesterday by Seattle Fire Chief Claude Harris. Darmstadt lost between 12,500 and 13,500 inhabitants during World War II. The NFPA report said the Blackstock fire was similar to a 1987 abandoned building fire in Detroit. 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. Real Name: Unknown TPP^9@+jAKPGMdA2@jdj0b =@Gg&Z2C4EuC?C}5VS-.iM)Wy&^ p)t:hm They found at least twenty other fires in both the United States and Canada that seemed to be started by the same individual, known as the "King of Arsonists". After Blackstock, firefighters also criticized commanders for sending crews into a vacant building. A series of tests were done with various types of fuels in order to determine which one the arsonist used. (206) 284-1313. 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. stream In 1993, Paul Keller was arrested for several arson fires in Seattle. % Carmans report said new evidence indicates some lumber might have been stored in the Blackstock building, after all, allowing the fire to burn more intensely. Website Directions More Info. Lastly, the fire originally was deemed to be a controllable, relatively low-temperature blaze when firefighters first arrived at the scene, but later the fire suddenly burst out of controlprobably when the fire reached the live power line. 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. High heat and sparks are characteristics of what are known as high-temperature accelerant fires, HTAs. Carman does not say absolutely they are not high-temperature accelerant fires, Dietz added. With the help of a group of chemists, the Fowler team identified a handful of possible candidates for the mystery fuel. 190 Queen Anne Ave N Ste 200, Seattle, WA 98109. Details: The Seattle Police Department is searching for the person or persons who may have set fire to the lumberyard Blackstock Lumber Company in Seattle on September 9, 1989. I first heard about this case, as Im sure a lot of people outside of Seattle did, from the Unsolved Mysteries episode of September 30, 1992. The report said Johnson and Meredith separated in the smoke-filled building, contrary to both department and national safety standards. 6 The lieutenant and a firefighter advanced a handline into an exposure building, when conditions rapidly deteriorated. Blackstock sold for $7.6M in March 2017 to Nevada-based Pacific Opportunity Fund I LLC. Get Blackstock Lumber Co. Inc can be contacted at (206) 284-1313. Although the NFPA report released yesterday touched on the use of conflicting strategies, it does not say they contributed to Johnson's death. Is it protected from the elements. Blackstock Lumber Download PDF Check Treatment Summary holding that covenants not to compete in employment agreements are enforced to the extent they are reasonable and lawful, giving special consideration to time and area restrictions Summary of this case from Hendrix v. Branton See 5 Summaries Search all case law on Casetext. A vacated extension of West Mercer Street cuts across the northern half of the property. So what led Fowler and his team to push the King of Arsonists theory? This contaminant list was based on our best information at the time it was entered. An explosion and raging flames at the warehouse occupied by Mary Pang's Food Products Inc. prevented other firefighters from rescuing the missing. Molded Panel Series - Blackstock Lumber Co., Inc. EN. 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. 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 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. The Humane Society occupied the area north of West Mercer Street. There's a lot of things we have to look at," the P-I reported. The first failure was when Johnson left his nozzle without telling his partner where he was going. See 1 tip from 27 visitors to Blackstock Lumber. But the commanding officer misread the helmet number of the other man and assumed the two were partners, according to a report by the National Fire Protection Association. A Hart-Crowser Phase I Environmental Assessment (1989) identified previous occupants of the property including the Seattle Lumber Company (1910's to 1930's . Interest in the "King of Arsonists" began after the Blackstock Lumber Company fire of September 9, 1989. English Deutsch Franais Espaol Portugus Italiano Romn Nederlands Latina Dansk Svenska Norsk Magyar Bahasa Indonesia Trke Suomi Latvian Lithuanian esk . For 15 to 25 minutes, firefighters had a chance to pull Lt. Matthew Johnson from the burning Blackstock Lumber Co. warehouse last fall, but missed the opportunity. I couldn't find one while doing research on it, but that doesn't mean one isn't out there. The other three, men ages 28, 34 and 41, were in satisfactory condition and were to be kept overnight for observation, Love said. I didn't find any suggestions that he might have started any of the fires--I know there was another case where the investigator was proven to be the arsonist, but it doesn't look like that happened here. So the King of Arsonists case wasn't the first time Fowler had been off base in claiming arson where there was none. (The van was bought in the early 1970s for use as a command vehicle equipped with radios, but it has seen little use. 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. The code does not now cover safety factors in vacant buildings. This reminds me of Satanic Panic cases, or the Wenatchee child abuse cases. This unidentified arsonist has been connected to over twenty fires in and around Seattle. The clues included a videotape of the fire that showed white flames, indicating the extremely hot temperatures associated with a hightemperature accelerant, or HTA, fire. Mount Dora, Tavares, Lake County and Eustis fire departments all. There is no response to radio calls. I only ever hear about Puyallup, WA in relation to true crime stories. >> YEARS IN BUSINESS. We conduct periodic reviews about every five years. The report reasons that it is imprudent to send firefighters inside vacant buildings, since they usually aren't worth much and there's little risk that someone is inside. Floor Materials, The segment on several fires which destroyed businesses in the Seattle area featured interviews from Seattle fire officials and arson investigators who dubbed the perpetrator of these fires the King of Arsonists. 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. The officer, Battalion Chief Paul Hargrove, then listed Meredith and the man he thought was his partner as safely out of the building, the report says. But more than 25 Seattle police and fire department arson and major crimes investigators were assigned to the case. A 63-page fire department report said the fire at the Mary Pang Food Products warehouse [Read More], SEATTLE (AP) -- Lawsuits have been filed by relatives of two of the four firefighters who died in a burning warehouse against the man charged with torching the building. We always figured it was just bums cooking hot dogs, a police source told the newspaper. Authorities are currently investigating suspicious insurance claims for fires across the nation for connections to the arsonist. The only fire that produced eyewitnesses was the Blackstock lumberyard fire. Institutional controls can be fences, signs, or restrictions on how the property is used. I'm just disappointed in the criticism of Matt,'' he said. Arson investigation experts believed that the King was responsible for as many as 20 building fires in the US and Canada, fires which resulted in the deaths of two firefighters. Thirty-two-year-old Matt Johnson and his partner Bill Meredith were two of the first firefighters inside the building. The report also, for the first time, said Johnson and his partner were partly responsible for the tragedy. The study concludes Blackstock was probably not an HTA fire, the P-I reported. "That new information came to light and they re-evaluated their findings," Taylor said. "Well I came down here and saw smoke, went in and tried to grab a few things, got my guitars and it was apparent the building was definitely on fire," said Matthew Fox. Ray Risdon, said he ordered the new investigation of the fire. << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text ] /ColorSpace << /Cs1 7 0 R >> /Font << /F2.0 9 0 R 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. And he didnt look like either of the sketches of suspects in the Blackstock fire. Thats still hotter than a normal firebut then the Puyallup fire was set with 462 pounds of accelerant according to Carman. SEATTLE (AP) _ A spectacular four-alarm blaze destroyed an old lumber yard building near the waterfront, shooting flames 60 feet in the air that were visible from some areas across Puget Sound. The department had requested the review by the association. He also said there was no motive to burn the building intentionally. Handy Andy Rent-A-Tool. Get reviews, hours, directions, coupons and more for Blackstock Lumber Co Inc at 1039 Elliott Ave W, Seattle, WA 98119. pushed the fire into uninvolved portions of the building.''. They identified at least 20 (some sources say 25) other fires which shared characteristics of the Blackstock and Carpet Exchange fires. The most devastating air raid on Darmstadt occurred on the night of 11/12 September 1944 when No. Labor and Industries fined the Fire Department, saying it had failed to protect its firefighters. On March 1, the state Department of Labor and Industries announced that it was citing and fining the Seattle department $102,400 in connection with the Sept. 9 Blackstock fire. 1039 Elliott Ave W. Seattle, WA 98119. 9:26 Battalion Chief Paul Hargrove, commanding front of building, not told of Bower's strategy, assumes attack will be on interior. A newspaper reported the building had been under surveillance after the company occupying the structure received arson threats. 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.