“Firefighters in Lakewood responded to the scene of a large commercial building fire Wednesday morning. A city spokesperson said it isn’t the first time fire crews have been called to the long-vacant property.” Read more at The News Tribune website.

Lt. Chris Lawler from the Lakewood Police Department reported…

This is an update to our social media posts earlier today.

On 12-15-21, at approximately 7:17 AM, Police and Fire were notified of a structure fire at a commercial building at 9681 Gravelly Lake Drive Southwest.  A police patrol unit arrived at 07:21 AM and observed smoke and fire coming from the building.  West Pierce Fire and Rescue (WPFR) arrived on scene and they reported heavy smoke and fire. 

The road was closed for some time while the fire was brought under control and extinguished.  The building had been reported to be vacant, but it was unknown if anyone was inside.  The building was not safe to enter initially, but eventually the building was searched and a body was located inside. 

WPFR Arson Investigators, LPD Detectives and LPD Forensics were dispatched to the scene.  The cause of the fire is under investigation at this time and a death investigation is also being conducted.  The victim has not yet been identified.

More information will be released when it becomes available.