Water is directed at a stubborn fire at a location that proved difficult to access.

SOUTH BEND — Fire agencies in north Pacific County battled a pesky fire in South Bend on Saturday, July 13, after a metal shop reportedly blew up. The incident occurred at 7:51 p.m. on Willapa Avenue, about one mile up the roadway.

Residents of the downtown area of South Bend reported seeing a large plume of smoke and ash falling onto their vehicles. The smoke plume was also observed in Raymond while dense smoke hovered over the Willapa River.

Firefighters from the South Bend Volunteer Fire Department, Raymond Fire Department and Pacific County Fire District No. 3 rushed to the scene, along with officers from the Raymond and South Bend police departments.

The first arriving units discovered a fully engulfed metal shop building, and it was unclear if anyone was still inside. The building had already collapsed, creating quite the challenge for responders — tones were sent out for additional firefighters multiple times.

According to witnesses who were gathered at a home in the area for a party, they heard multiple loud explosions and then discovered the fire. They remained at the scene for most of the incident, awestruck by what they were witnessing.

“All kinds of stuff was exploding,” one witness described. “Couple big booms and a bunch of like smaller ones, who knows what was in there.”

Witnesses estimated that flames were shooting 40-60 feet high when they found the fire.

The fire gave units a run for their money due to difficulty accessing a water supply and a low number of available firefighters at the time. Tenders traveled back and forth from downtown South Bend to keep fire hoses supplied with water, and units also were pushing the limits of their self-containing breathing apparatus supplies.

Firefighters also ran into a few issues at the scene, including debris from the building collapsing and magnesium in the rubble that, when hit with water, sparked flames.

Pacific County Emergency Management Agency Director Scott McDougall also responded to the scene and performed supportive efforts. He transported cases of drinking water to help hydrate crews and helped shut down the road in the area so fire apparatus could get to refill points quicker.

Although there were concerns someone may have been trapped inside, firefighters later determined no one was missing.

It is unclear what caused the fire, and a fire investigator is looking into the matter.