Fire causes $200,000 in damage at historic White Building in downtown Olympia



OLYMPIA -- An early morning fire caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to Olympia's oldest commercial building.

According to the Olympia Fire Department, firefighters responded to a fire alarm at 209 4th Ave. East about 2:10 a.m. Tuesday. Firefighters found light smoke on the first and second floors of the White Building.

The fire originated on the first floor in a maintenance and storage room. It took about 40 minutes for the fire to be contained.



The building did have working smoke detectors and fire alarm system, but does not have fire sprinklers.

There were no injuries, firefighters said, but they estimate about $200,000 worth of damage. Crews remained on scene Tuesday morning, searching for hot spots within hidden spaces and investigating the cause of the fire.

The White Building is the oldest existing commercial building in downtown Olympia and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The following addresses within the White Building were affected by the fire: 207, 209 and 211 4th Ave. E.