A structure was engulfed in flames on the afternoon of May 25 in Montesano.

The building, located at East Pioneer Avenue and Academy Streets, had long sat devoid of business and inhabitants.

“We used to have a business in it, but recently my husband has been putting a bunch of junk in it. It’s just storage,” Coral Lyons said. Lyons and her husband, Don, own the property. “It’s been empty for a few years.”

Lyons unofficially said she believes the fire was started by an out-of-control burn. She’s not sure who was responsible for the burn, but she thinks the wind was stronger than expected and the fire got away from them and spread to the structure.

As the fire burned, a crowd gathered on street corners to watch Montesano Fire Department fire fighters and their colleagues from various fire districts and the Elma Fire Department battle to contain the flames and douse the quickly-totaled structure.

A news camera crew was on scene filming, their tripod situated between two fire department apparatuses.

Mayor Vini Samuel arrived as the passenger in a pickup truck. She spoke to a small crowd on the corner as the fire fighters worked.

An old mid-size pickup truck parked in a lawn. The lawn is owned by city Councilman Robert Hatley who quickly admonished the passenger, however the driver had left — seemingly to take pictures of the blaze — and the passenger seemed unsure of how to react to Hatley’s direction.

While the crowd seemed somewhat gathered, and somehow simultaneously chaotic, the fire fighters worked in unison. Streams of water flushed into the flames and charred remains and the air went gray with smoke.

Over the emergency radio channel, fire fighters asked dispatch to notify the rail company of the fire — fire fighters had a fire truck on the tracks to contain the fire from a separate angle, they reported.

As the fire fighters fought the flames, Lyons watched.

“I don’t know who had the fire going. Whoever did it, it got out of hand and it started our place on fire,” Lyons said in a phone interview with The Vidette. “I need to know who is responsible.”

She was at a loss for words. The fire fighters were still working to contain the fire that had just claimed her building.

“It’s a long, long story, and unfortunately, I don’t know what’s going to happen with it,” Lyons said.