Former Alf Christianson Seed Company building burns

Mount Vernon, WA:  On Sunday Jan 19th, 2014, while most Washington State residents were gearing up to watch the Seattle Seahawks play the San Francsico 49ers, about 50 Firefighters from around Skagit County were called to fight a  commercial structure fire on South 3rd street.   The Mount Vernon fire department responded to a “possible fire in a building”, at the old Alf Christianson Seed Company building, near the Skagit County Jail.

While en route, responding fire units as well as multiple callers reported smoke and flames visible. Within moments of arriving,  Mount Vernon Fire requested a second tone for additional resources because  flames and smoke were shooting from the windows and a man on top of the roof was trying to escape.  Fire and Law Enforcement safely rescued the man from the burning warehouse roof.   Initial reports said the man was a transient and he was detained, as the building has been vacant for about two years and no one should have been in the building.

Firefighters from neighboring towns and cities, responded to assist with fighting the blaze.  A total of over 50 firefighters from Mount Vernon, Burlington, Conway, Cedardale, and  McLean Road responded.

Firefighters were forced to take a defensive stance in fighting the fire, which may have started on the second floor or the roof area.

According to King 5 News, in the crowd of people taking pictures was Aggie Juarez and his sons. They  watched as firefighters tried to save the building where he says his dad worked in the 70’s and 80’s.

Aggie stated, “Me and my brother actually worked for the company for awhile in the summertime.”

The company moved out of the warehouse a couple of years ago. The building was empty, or at least it was suppose to be.

“It’s been pretty well known that transients have been living in here,” said Steve Riggs of the Mount Vernon Fire Dept.

Burlington Northern Railroad was contacted and rail traffic was suspended in the are because fire attack lines were being run across the tracks to area fire hydrants. 

The 100,000 square foot building is being considered for the new Skagit County Jail.

Skagit Breaking members  submitted quite a few good pictures and we forwarded them to the Major Seattle News agencies. Here are some of the pictures we received.

Photo Credits: Sarah Pratt, Krystelle Hamilton, Mardi Martone, Travis Hathaway, Racheal Honeycutt, Laura Ruthemeyer, Evelyn Alaniz, Edith Gasper, Kaylee Wood, Lori Marquez, Kristina Currier, Courtney Brooks, Krystelle Hamilton, David McAllister, Elizabeth Porter, Alicyn Maika’i, Julie Orestad, Joni Odegaard, Kevin Lester, Bekki Cox, Theresa Conroy-Langlois, Matt Bluhm, Traci Gromus, Ashley Howard, Heather Wilder, Felicia Ashe, Shelby Rasmussen, Dottie Chandler, Rayona Luif, Debbie Mcfarland, BEanie Arizmendi, Lori Marquez, and Ronda Snyder. I hope I didn’t miss anyone!!!