HISTORIC LOPEZ BUILDING IS DESROYED
FIRE RUINS RICHARDSON STORE

by Lesley Reed
“The Islands’ Sounder” Wednesday, October 31, 1990

Lopez Island lost a member of the community Saturday night. And San Juan County lost one of its most famous historical landmarks. Richardson Store, which celebrated its 100th year in business this year, burned to the ground with nary a chance to save it.

By the time the call came, at 8:40 p.m., it was already too late. Amy Goodrow, out on Davis Head, spotted the flames beating against the back windows and called the fire department. When Ken and Sue Shaw, the store’s owners for the past 11 years, arrived a few minutes later, the flames were reaching out the windows.

“The building was gone by the time anyone got there; said Lopez Fire Commissioner Steve Adams. Firefighters allowed the building to burn to the ground, but put up a curtain of water between the store and six fuel tanks some 20 feet away.

A westerly wind at 30 knots blew the blaze directly toward the tanks. Tongues of flame lapped against the metal sides and wisps of fuel vented and burst into fire; but everyone’s greatest fear — that the tanks would blow — never happened. “The tanks did exactly what the engineer said they would do,” said Lopez Fire Chief Larry Schulze. When the tanks get hot, fuel turns to vapor and is released through the vents, igniting as it leaves. For the tanks to explode, they would have had to “superheat,” building up the gas so fast that there’s no other way out, said Schulze.

The building collapsed at around 1 a.m. The blaze was down by about 2, although firefighters were there “mopping up” through Sunday. Schulze didn’t go home until 3:30 that afternoon.

Deputy State Fire Marshal Larry R. Micheau arrived on the scene Sunday, surveyed the wreckage and interviewed witnesses. At press time, the cause of fire was still unknown. It was the first structure fire on Lopez in five years. No one was hurt, though Lucky, the resident cat, hasn’t been seen since. “The fire department did a fantastic job,” said an overwhelmed Ken Shaw. “We’re trying to get things under control in addition to looking toward the future.” Shaw couldn’t say yet whether he will rebuild.

Some 18 firefighters responded to the call. Police directed traffic and ran back and forth between the village station and the scene with air tanks for the firefighters. Water was hauled from a source on Davis Head and from as far away as the school. There were stretches of time when there was no water at all. “It was frightening,” admitted Schulze.

The flames could be seen for miles and the sad and the curious gathered at the intersection of Richardson and Vista Roads to watch billows of orange smoke and pray the fuel tanks would hold.

The next day, a steady stream of mourners came to see the rubble of twisted metal, black ash, and a hole through the floorboards leading straight down to the ocean. Soda cans littered the road and the banks (the sounds of exploding cans and propane tanks could be heard from Vista Rd.), the road was scorched, a Chevron sign and lamp post opposite the store and adjacent to the fuel tanks charred black.

And stories were told. Perhaps this one is the most remarkable: The fire chief and all three fire commissioners attended the Washington State Fire Commissioners Conference in Vancouver on Saturday. Driving home, commissioner Ron Meng and Schulze fell into a conversation about what would be the worst case scenario for Lopez —Richardson store and fuel tanks. “A few hours later the call came in,” said Schulze.