Firefighters Investigating Storage Facility Fire
Bernd Moving Systems
Carolyn and Mike Gibbons watched crews tear down and sift through the wreckage that once held their belongings.
They were just a few days from taking those valuables with them to their new home in Boise, Idaho.
"There was family pictures from when our children were little, that we've lost inside our storage stuff. Those are the kind of things that concern me the most, because you can't replace those. Even though it's all insured, you still can't replace that kind of stuff," says Mike Gibnbons.
Ashes and rubble are all that remain of the Bernd Moving Systems warehouse, after a fire tore through the main storage facility at the corner of 18th and Jerome Avenue.
Up to 75 firefighters from across Yakima County battled the fire for almost two hours before gaining control of it, saving only the main office.
Connie cross, whose valuables dated back to when she was a child, says she is still at a loss for words.
"I've had my things in the storage for two and a half years. I lost -- I probably lost everything, I don't know. I don't know how what to be right now," says Cross.
Although the fire may be out, crews are still working hard to remove items from the building and tear down walls.
"Once we remove those hazards that above our head, we can work safely into the smaller debris, so that tyhe investigation team can sift through and figure out what actually caused this fire," says Captain Brandon Dorenbush.
As for Carolyn and Mike Gibbons, they say the loss of their belongings will not slow down their move to Boise.
"There's some people that have lost a lot more than we have. So at least we have not lost everything, so we're greatful for that," says Carolyn Gibbons.
The owner of the building was also at the fire scene today and did not want to comment.
Firefighters estimate damages to run about 1.5 million dollars.