Witnesses hear explosions and see fireball at coffee stand



EVERETT -- Witnesses near a coffee stand fire say they heard a series of explosions and then watched in horror as a fire torched a nearby bikini barista stand and car.

Carlos Talavera described the explosions he heard Thursday afternoon. "Boom. Like a pop. Like a very low frequency hit," he said.

That's when he grabbed his cell phone and started shooting video of the massive blaze. Everett Fire Fighters say they received a call about the fire at 4:45 from the Sinners and Saints coffee stand on the corner of 4th and Everett Mall Way.

The barista inside managed to escape and get help from nearby witnesses. An ambulance rushed her to Harborview where she is recovering in critical condition after receiving severe burns.

Witnesses say the flames kept shooting into the sky until fire crews arrived.

Jeff Madsen said, "More flames and caught the power lines on fire and the next thing you know in about 10 minutes the entire building was engulfed in fire."

Investigators don't know how the fire started but the Everett Fire Marshal says he plans to speak with the barista to learn more about how the fire started.