Fire engulfs downtown Friday Harbor
At least three fire trucks and several dozen firefighters battled the blaze, which prompted nearby businesses to close their doors, said Steve Buck, who owns a Coldwell Banker real estate office across the street from the fire.
"Flames are probably shooting 30, 40 feet up," Buck said. "Dark clouds of smoke are going probably a couple hundred feet up. ... I have the windows shut, and I'm feeling the heat through the window."
Firefighters evacuated the area quickly, and there were no reports of any injuries, Mayor Gary Boothman said.
"We're really fortunate," Boothman told KOMO-TV. "It's a sad day, but it's not a tragedy."
At least three businesses in the same building as the Friday Harbor Grocery appeared to be burning: the Hungry Clam restaurant, Friday Harbor Souvenirs and Gifts and San Juan Florists, Buck said.
There is also a laundromat beneath the grocery.
The businesses are located about a block from the waterfront on First Street.
Firefighters from Orcas and Lopez islands were brought in by boat to help the Friday Harbor crews.
Witnesses said the fire appeared to have started in the lower portion of the building at about 3:30 p.m. By 5 p.m., the roof of the building was gone.
There was no immediate estimate of damage or indication what caused the fire.
"They have a ladder truck that's shooting water from above," said Molly Hogan, a checker at nearby King's Market "It looks to me like they're trying to keep the fire from spreading to surrounding businesses."
Once an employee at Friday Harbor Grocery, Hogan said it was heart-wrenching to see it burn. "These are people I know," she said. "These are my neighbors. ... It's really sad."
Boothman, whose wife once worked at the grocery, said, "We're losing not only a whole corner of the town, but we're losing a real history. That grocery store is one that all the boaters go to that visit Friday Harbor. ... People have been going to that store for a number of years."
Friday Harbor is the main town on San Juan Island, the largest of the San Juan island chain off northwest Washington. State ferry service to the island was not disrupted.