BURIEN, Wash. — Fire investigators have determined that a fire that destroyed a historic building at Dottie Harper Park was intentionally set.
King County Fire District 2 firefighters responded to the structure fire at 421 SW 146th Street around 1 a.m. on Saturday. The fire started on the south side of the two-story house before spreading throughout the building, eventually burning through the main floor joists and causing them to collapse into the basement.
With assistance from Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority and Port of Seattle, crews extinguished the fire and secured the area by 10 a.m. Firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to nearby trees and other parts of the park.
The 864-square-foot building, built in 1954, was a total loss. Equipment and supplies stored by the city’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department were also destroyed.
The building held historical significance for Burien. It housed the Burien Arts Gallery from 1974 to 2009 and had been used as storage for city recreational programs and events since 2017.
“This facility held significant meaning to our community’s history and has served an essential role for our department in recent years,” said PaRCS Director Casey Stanley. “It housed equipment and supplies vital to the delivery of our City’s major events, large youth and senior programs, and ongoing park maintenance operations.”
Among the items lost were custom-made materials for the city’s Arts-A-Glow, Empty Bowls, and Día de los Muertos events.
“Staff are working to recoup what was lost and finding creative ways to replace items,” Stanley said. “While this is a challenging setback for us, we will not let it get in the way of serving our community.”
The city has fenced off the property for public safety until the structure can be demolished. Officials will then assess whether a new building can be constructed to better serve community needs, which would include a public engagement process.
No suspects have been identified. Anyone with information is asked to contact the King County Fire District 2 Fire Marshal at fmo@king2fd.org.
트위터 공유: 역사적 부리엔 공원 건물 고의 소실 충격