Fire/explosion at Bullseye Indoor Range, Tacoma

[ddjchemist]

I picked up my firearms today at the exact time as we arranged. All I can say that their customer service was a top notch. I will definitely buy from them after they reopen the store.

 

[colleenash]

A couple of local station news articles stated that the explosion area has been narrowed down to a classroom / storage area. Not the firing line area, it would seem. For a fatality to have occurred, that person was likely to be in the more immediate proximity to the explosion. That is, the classroom / storage area. I'm guessing that the cause of the explosion was related to what individual(s) were doing in the classroom area, not the firing line. If initial fire authority impressions are borne out.

I visited the range classroom two weeks before the fire I am a member of armed women of America and I usually meet at the Bellevue chapter so I was shocked at this building they use a space heater in the classroom and there were guns and ammo laying on tables up there I have to say when I pulled up to park I noticed the stairs on the exterior of the building were blick d at the bottom this was alarming to me knowing the classroom was upstairs and if a fire broke out how would you exit??? Also the leader there told me she had been hit by shrapnel while shooting on the range? Needless to say I left and knew I'd never be back but o was saddened to see the news of this fire exactly what I feared about this building.

 

[Alexx1401]

I visited the range classroom two weeks before the fire I am a member of armed women of America and I usually meet at the Bellevue chapter so I was shocked at this building they use a space heater in the classroom and there were guns and ammo laying on tables up there I have to say when I pulled up to park I noticed the stairs on the exterior of the building were blick d at the bottom this was alarming to me knowing the classroom was upstairs and if a fire broke out how would you exit??? Also the leader there told me she had been hit by shrapnel while shooting on the range? Needless to say I left and knew I'd never be back but o was saddened to see the news of this fire exactly what I feared about this building.

I have to guess you have not spent any time around firearms or ammo to have this kind of fear of them.
In a class room there are going to be guns on the tables. After all its a class room about guns and gun handling.
A space heater can not set off guns or ammo unless someone is setting them on top of the heater.
The set of stairs you are taking about is one of the ways into the upper floor. You did not notice the set of stairs beside the counter that goes down to the store? So there are two sets of stairs. Not sure what else you want, a window to jump out of from up there?
As for the range they a while back started to get rid of the old bullet trap set up and go with the crumbled block media for just that reason. It would get rid of the problem of pieces of bullet jacket bouncing back.

 

[GunSmoke]

I'm not sure if this is allowed but below is a link to the fundraiser for the widow and two young children of the young man who lost his life in the fire.

Caring for Ruth Mar and her children

A Devoted Husband, A Loving Father, A Heartbreaking LossIn an instant, Ruth Mar’s world was shattered. Her beloved husband, Tim Mar, was tragically taken fro...

www.givesendgo.com

It's been years since I was there after moving away but, if this is the man who I think it was then he was a super nice guy. I believe he used to be an employee there until starting his own holster company. I believe he made the holsters there. Either way, this is super sad and I feel really bad for his wife and children.

 

[edzz]

I visited the range classroom two weeks before the fire I am a member of armed women of America and I usually meet at the Bellevue chapter so I was shocked at this building they use a space heater in the classroom and there were guns and ammo laying on tables up there I have to say when I pulled up to park I noticed the stairs on the exterior of the building were blick d at the bottom this was alarming to me knowing the classroom was upstairs and if a fire broke out how would you exit??? Also the leader there told me she had been hit by shrapnel while shooting on the range? Needless to say I left and knew I'd never be back but o was saddened to see the news of this fire exactly what I feared about this building.

Welcome to the site.

Sorry that an old FUD ripped you on your first post, don't let that run you off.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I visited the range classroom two weeks before the fire I am a member of armed women of America and I usually meet at the Bellevue chapter so I was shocked at this building they use a space heater in the classroom and there were guns and ammo laying on tables up there I have to say when I pulled up to park I noticed the stairs on the exterior of the building were blick d at the bottom this was alarming to me knowing the classroom was upstairs and if a fire broke out how would you exit??? Also the leader there told me she had been hit by shrapnel while shooting on the range? Needless to say I left and knew I'd never be back but o was saddened to see the news of this fire exactly what I feared about this building.

"Alarmed, feared, shocked, saddened, alarming".

Lol, sure you were.

 

[po18guy]

"Alarmed, feared, shocked, saddened, alarming".

Lol, sure you were.

Did I miss "appalled"?

I have not read any follow up on the cause, but natural/propane gas ignition is certainly consistent with a contained explosion. I have burnt much unknown/contaminated smokeless powder. A trait of smokeless propellant is that it burns very slowly and inefficiently when UNCONFINED. There would literally have to be hundreds of pounds piled up at the firing line for this to occur. Somehow, I doubt that was the issue.

 

[User 1234]

A spaceheater in a room containing guns and ammunition is normally not a problem.

As for the exterior fire escape, it may have been redundant.

Anyone can request public records of fire inspections. For this thread, however, it's not helpful to add insult to injury by kicking the people behind the business while they're down.

 

[Alexx1401]

Did I miss "appalled"?

I have not read any follow up on the cause, but natural/propane gas ignition is certainly consistent with a contained explosion. I have burnt much unknown/contaminated smokeless powder. A trait of smokeless propellant is that it burns very slowly and inefficiently when UNCONFINED. There would literally have to be hundreds of pounds piled up at the firing line for this to occur. Somehow, I doubt that was the issue.

I also have not seen any reports on what caused the blast but have "suspected" natural gas since the report. To those who have never been there and know nothing of the place. Its an OLD building that started out life as a frozen foods warehouse. On each bay (there are two) they have gas heaters that are mounted to the wall. The kind many may have never even seen before but they have a flame you can see and use radiant heat to heat the room. The bays have exhaust fans to keep the air in their clean. So if gas was to leak in there the fans would suck it out but, who the hell knows there the gas is piped into the place from.
Ever since this happened a surprising number of people who seem to have watched too many cartoons really seem to believe gun powder used today can somehow explode in an open room, which is not possible. So I keep "suspecting" gas leak could well be the cause of what blew in there.

 

[po18guy]

On each bay (there are two) they have gas heaters that are mounted to the wall. The kind many may have never even seen before but they have a flame you can see and use radiant heat to heat the room.

Well do I remember the "REZNOR" gas heaters which were also commonly used to heat variety and grocery stores in the 50s.

 

[Alexx1401]

Well do I remember the "REZNOR" gas heaters which were also commonly used to heat variety and grocery stores in the 50s.

View attachment 2049478

Yep still see some of those in large old building. They were great for heating LARGE places like that in the day.

 

[arakboss]

I have to guess you have not spent any time around firearms or ammo to have this kind of fear of them.
In a class room there are going to be guns on the tables. After all its a class room about guns and gun handling.
A space heater can not set off guns or ammo unless someone is setting them on top of the heater.
The set of stairs you are taking about is one of the ways into the upper floor. You did not notice the set of stairs beside the counter that goes down to the store? So there are two sets of stairs. Not sure what else you want, a window to jump out of from up there?
As for the range they a while back started to get rid of the old bullet trap set up and go with the crumbled block media for just that reason. It would get rid of the problem of pieces of bullet jacket bouncing back.

"A space heater can not set off guns or ammo..."

My space heater could, if I pissed her off sufficiently.

 

[Alexx1401]

"A space heater can not set off guns or ammo..."

My space heater could, if I pissed her off sufficiently.

Some of them have to be handled with EXTREME care