Thousands Will Attend Funeral Seattle Officials Rule Blaze Was Arson, Seattle Television Station Reports

Thousands of firefighters, from as far away as Rhode Island and Ontario, are expected to attend a memorial service here this week honoring four Seattle men who died battling a warehouse blaze.

Investigators, meanwhile, were still sifting through the rubble of the Mary Pang Food Products Inc. foodprocessing warehouse Monday for clues to the cause of Thursday’s five-alarm fire.

Officials have labeled the blaze suspicious although they said they didn’t know exactly where the fire began and could not say yet whether it was deliberately set.

But KIRO-TV reported Monday night that two separate Seattle Fire Department officials confirmed to the station that the fire was arson. The station provided no details and did not identify its sources.

The International Association of Fire Fighters posted a $25,000 reward Monday for the arrest and conviction of whoever caused the blaze, if it is determined to be arson.

“We are hoping that a cash reward may prompt a witness or someone with information about the fire to come forward,” said Alfred K. Whitehead, general president of the Washington, D.C.-based union.

The four firefighters were trapped when the floor beneath them collapsed soon after crews arrived on the scene.

The cause of the floor collapse had not been determined, but investigators have ruled out an explosion despite news reports that a blast occurred at about the same time, Lt. Randy Litchfield said

“I’m telling you there was no explosion,” he said.

Officials have “some very definite opinions” about the cause of the collapse, but won’t discuss them until structural engineers can assess the scene, he said at a news conference.

The investigation could take several more days, said Mark Logan of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

“We do not know where the fire started at this time,” Logan said.

“There’s still half the building we haven’t even been into yet,” Litchfield added.

He also said it was premature to second-guess the firefighters’ tactics until the cause and progression of the fire are determined.

“This was an operating and functioning business,” he said of the warehouse. “There was nothing … to give reason not to go in there.”

Fire Department officials said one firefighter - a cousin of one of the dead men - suffered a heart attack while helping at the fire scene Sunday. Gary Medica, 53, was in critical condition Monday at Swedish Medical Center, department spokesman Carlos Valdivia said.

A black ribbon of mourning was tied around the top of the landmark Space Needle at the center Monday.

Between 4,000 and 5,000 firefighters from across the country and Canada are expected to attend Wednesday’s memorial service at the Seattle Center, said Jon R. Gillis, president of Seattle Fire Fighters Union Local 27.

MEMO: This sidebar ran with story: SPOKANE CREWS GOING An estimated 100 Spokane city and county firefighters are headed to Seattle to honor four firefighters killed in the line of duty last week. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Local 29 of the International Association of Firefighters has chartered a bus and expects 70 city firefighters to make the trip. Another 30 or so are expected from the Valley and other area fire districts. “We like to show our support,” said union SecretaryTreasurer Mike Bacon, who represents city crews. “This is a tragedy and a grim reminder of the dangers we face.”