White Center Now: The blog about White Center

(WCN photos by Torin Record-Sand)

Thanks for the tips. Readers noticed a smoke plume, visible for miles, rising over south White Center just after 7 pm. We were delayed in checking it out and didn’t have an address but finally found the site at dusk, near 10th SW and SW 108th.

Fire and sheriff vehicles still had 108th blocked off.

We talked to a fire spokesperson who said no one was hurt and they were investiating, but also still putting out hot spots – we could see a glowing ember near the roofline:

Early responders on scene had described the house as “fully involved” in flames when they arrived. The plan was to keep some firefighters there through the niht to be sure it didn’t reignite.

Two bans in one announcement from King County Local Services:

With warmer temperatures and a busy soccer summer in the forecast, King County is taking several steps to help remind the community the importance of fire safety.

The National Weather Service is predicting above-average temperatures this summer. That will create drier conditions and increase the risk of fire.

Given that forecast, Fire Marshal Eric Urban has issued a Stage 1 Burn Ban for unincorporated King County that will take effect Monday, June 22.

And with the July 4th holiday in a couple of weeks, Urban also is reminding the community that the use and sale of fireworks in unincorporated King County is prohibited.

“With the World Cup coming to King County, along with America’s 250th birthday on July 4th, we know this is going to be a busy and active summer,” Urban said. “We appreciate that people will want to celebrate with their friends and neighbors. We just want them to remember during this time of extremely dry conditions, the risk of fire is high. There are things they can do – and not do – to reduce that risk while still enjoying themselves. That includes adhering to the Stage 1 Burn Ban, not using fireworks, and adhering to a Stage 2 Burn Ban if called. It goes a long way toward keeping unwanted fires to a minimum.”

Stage 1 Burn Ban

The Stage 1 Burn Ban for unincorporated King County takes effect at 12:01 a.m., Monday, June 22. It prohibits yard debris fires and fires set to clear land.

It does not apply to recreational fires or gas/propane appliances, including grills, pellet smokers, or charcoal grills.

The ban is being issued in conjunction with the King County Fire Chiefs Association and King County Fire Marshals Association.

Urban also encourages people who smoke to use extreme caution with their ashes or when they’re extinguishing cigarettes.

There are also rules for approved recreational or campfires:

Firewood must be seasoned and dry.
The fire must be built in a metal or concrete fire pit, like those typically found in campgrounds.
The fire must not be used to dispose of debris.
The fire must grow no larger than three feet wide.
The fire must be in a clear spot, at least 10 feet away from all vegetation.
Overhanging branches must be at least 20 feet above the flames.
The fire must be at least 25 feet away from any structure.
The fire must always be attended by an alert person with equipment that can put out the fire (such as a shovel and a five-gallon bucket of water, or a connected and charged water hose).
After use, campfires must be completely extinguished by pouring water or moist soil over them and stirring with a shovel until all parts are cool to the touch.
No burning is allowed when the wind speed is greater than 15 miles per hour.
If smoke or ash from the fire causes a nuisance to any neighbors, the fire must be extinguished.

Get the latest information on current burn bans by visiting the Department of Local Services’ Fire Safety Burn Bans page.

Fireworks prohibited in unincorporated King County

This year, America is celebrating its 250th birthday. For many, the July 4th holiday means fireworks.

Urban reminds everyone that the use and sale of consumer fireworks are prohibited in the unincorporated areas of King County, including communities such as White Center, Skyway, East Federal Way, Fairwood, and the East Renton area.

Fireworks enforcement will be managed by the Code Enforcement team in the Permitting Division of the Department of Local Services. Code Enforcement will investigate complaints received about illegal fireworks use and/or sales in unincorporated King County.

You can report violations online; you will be asked to sign in or create an account on our customer service system. You can also call 206-848-0800.

Much like reporting a building safety or nuisance issue, reporting fireworks violations will require giving a specific property address. And if the person reporting the violation wants King County to take enforcement action, that person must be willing to testify in person or by written declaration at a hearing concerning the date, time, and location where they witnessed the illegal acts. If the complaint is anonymous or the complainant is not willing to testify, then the owner of the property where discharge of illegal fireworks is reported will be sent a letter with information about the fireworks ban.

(REPOSTED FROM PARTNER SITE WEST SEATTLE BLOG)

FIRST REPORT, 11:16 AM: Thanks for the tips – house fire reported in the unincorporated area. More soon.

FIRST UPDATE, 11:35 AM: Our crew has just arrived. The fire is close to 26th and 104th. They’re seeing damage to a house and RV trailer. Photos added.

SECOND UPDATE, 11:43 AM: A PIO at the scene confirms to our crew that the fire is out – aside from a few hotspots – and no one was hurt. The fire is reported to have started in the trailer and spread to a house, damaging a second residential structure.

THIRD UPDATE, 2:46 PM: Here’s what PIO Pat Pawlak, speaking today for Fire District 2 (North Highline/Burien), told us at the scene:

Thanks to Jissy for the photo. Crews are fighting this fire at 15th SW and SW 104th. Avoid the area.

Thanks to the tipster who texted us about a big overnight fire (including the photo above). It was at a home in the 10000 block of 26th SW in the 2 am hour. TV outlets report the people in the house got out safely but a firefighter was treated for injuries.

The King County Fire Marshal has issued a Stage 1 Burn Ban, “restricting yard-debris fires and fires set to clear land in unincorporated areas”:

With the dry season fast approaching, King County Fire Marshal Eric Urban has issued a Stage 1 Burn Ban for the unincorporated areas of King County. This ban, which prohibits yard debris fires and fires set to clear land, takes effect Monday at 12:01 a.m., June 30.

The ban is being issued in conjunction with the King County Fire Chiefs Association and King County Fire Marshals Association. It does not apply to recreational fires or gas/propane appliances, including grills, pellet smokers, or charcoal grills.

Expected periods of higher temperatures will expand the amount of dry fuel load and reduce the amount of moisture in vegetation in our communities. This in turn increases the risk of an uncontrolled fire when burning yard debris.

“Summer is a prime season to enjoy the outdoors, but summer also brings higher fire risks. Help prevent uncontrolled fires and potential wildfires by following the Stage 1 Burn Ban,” Urban said. “Your efforts make a difference, and both your neighbors and our first responders will thank you.”

Urban also encourages people who smoke to use extreme caution with their ashes or when they’re extinguishing cigarettes.

There are also rules for approved recreational or campfires:

-Firewood must be seasoned and dry.
-The fire must be built in a metal or concrete fire pit, like those typically found in campgrounds.
-The fire must not be used to dispose of debris.
-The fire must grow no larger than three feet wide.
-The fire must be in a clear spot, at least 10 feet away from all vegetation.
-Overhanging branches must be at least 20 feet above the flames.
-The fire must be at least 25 feet away from any structure.
-The fire must always be attended by an alert person with equipment that can put out the fire (such as a shovel and a five-gallon bucket of water, or a connected and charged water hose).
-After use, campfires must be completely extinguished by pouring water or moist soil over them and stirring with a shovel until all parts are cool to the touch.
-No burning is allowed when the wind speed is greater than 15 miles per hour.
-If smoke or ash from the fire causes a nuisance to any neighbors, the fire must be extinguished.

Get the latest information on current burn bans by visiting the Department of Local Services’ Fire Safety Burn Bans page.

Thanks to Jon for sharing the video of what he saw in White Center near 14th/98th after 11:30 Friday night. The fire briefly burned big and bright, but was extinguished quickly enough that it wound up logged as a “minor fire.” There was some concern it could spread to a building, but it apparently did not, at least not in a major way. We’ll check on the aftermath later today.

Thanks to the reader who tipped us about this fire by texting that video (206-293-6302). Firefighters from North Highline and beyond have just finished putting out most of what was described in radio exchanges as a basement fire in a house on 24th SW (10300 block). Not much other information so far; they were dispatched just before 11:30 pm.

Thanks for the tip. Firefighters were called to the Coronado Springs apartment complex in White Center (1400 SW 107th) this morning for a report of a fire in a unit. We went to the scene to find out more. Firefighters told us one upper unit was damaged but nobody was hurt. The cause is under investigation.

12:21 AM: Firefighters are at what was described initially as a vehicle fire at a location on 15th SW near 106th listed on the fire lot as SK Used Cars. 15th is also blocked in the area right now as a result. We haven’t heard any detailed updates but they were calling for a fire investigator.

(WCN photo)

12:30 PM: We went by the scene a short time ago. Fire damage was in evidence, mostly involving the car in our photo above.

3:38 PM: In case you saw the smoke and/or heard the sirens, there’s a big fire response right now at a home near 28th/110th. It was first reported as a garage fire but then grew, and the callout size was increased. Streets are shut down in the area, so stay clear for a while.

4:20 PM: That photo is from someone who was in the area in the early stage of the fire. Our crew is at the scene and tells us it is mostly out now. Nobody was hurt; the fire was confined to the detached garage, firefighters tell us. The initial report, as we heard on the scanner, came in from deputies who were in the area.

5 PM: Here’s the garage, post-fire:

7:16 PM: At tonight’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting, Deputy Bill Kennamer said the garage is used as a residence and the man who lives there was taken to the hospital with smoke inhalation.

Thanks to David for the tip. One year after the Locker Room fire closed adjoining businesses too, one has announced it won’t be reopening: Bizzarro Italian Café‘s White Center restaurant. Bizzarro had been open only nine months before the fire hit. Their announcement this weekend says there were “MANY deciding factors” that led them to drop plans to reopen here, without elaborating on any of them.

11:15 AM: King County Fire District 2 just tweeted that photo from a house fire in North Highline that’s been drawing attention for the past hour-plus because of the massive plume of black smoke that went high into the sky, visible from downtown Seattle and beyond.

Photo by John Graham

This is a house in the 10400 block of 8th Avenue South, not far east of Highway 509, which is closed northbound right now because of a result. KCFD2 says no injuries are reported so far.

3:36 PM: Firefighters continue cleanup at the site and have tweeted this photo:

The freeway, meantime, has fully reopened.

An early-morning house fire in White Center on Sunday took a life. Firefighters responded to a house in the 400 block of SW 108th [map] around 3:45 am on Sunday (March 6th). They quickly pulled a man out of the house, says Fire Chief Mike Marrs, but it was too late to save him – the King County Medical Examiner identifies the victim as 37-year-old Steadman Mathis and says he died of smoke inhalation. Two children in the house were rescued as well and they survived. Marrs says the fire was ruled accidental. (added) Mr. Mathis was an educator who also served as tennis coach for Chief Sealth International High School, whose athletic director Ernest Policarpio describes him as “a good man.”

(White Center Now/West Seattle Blog photos)

Four months after the fire that gutted the Locker Room Bar and Grill, one of the other businesses affected is about to reopen: Full Tilt Ice Cream‘s flagship location at 9629 16th SW reopens tomorrow (Tuesday, January 18th). We stopped by this evening as they finished getting ready.

That wall is an example of what had to be fixed before Full Tilt could reopen – firefighters had to break through it while working to stop the fire in September. And they’re two doors down from Locker Room; the damage was even worse at neighboring Huong Xua Deli and, on the other side of Locker Room, Bizzarro Italian Café. No updates on them yet (Bizzarro is still open in Wallingford). Full Tilt will reopen with a few new touches – like this Simpsons-themed pinball machine:

Hours will be the same as they were pre-fire – 3 to 8 pm.

Two months after the second fire in two years at the former Atlas Electric (among other incarnations) building, what was left of it has been demolished and cleared. Thanks to Gill Loring for sending the photo after seeing the now-empty site. County records show the demolition permit was issued earlier this month, but no other development/building permits are currently pending.

(July 5th White Center Now/West Seattle Blog photo by Patrick Sand)

Following up on part of what was mentioned at the community meeting last week, King County sent word this week that the federal Small Business Administration has declared an Economic Injury Disaster. That means businesses and organizations affected by the July 5th fire can apply for low-interest loans up to $2 million if they have suffered from “substantial economic injury” (here’s the definition, and how to apply). If you’re not eligible, the county is promising “seek out more options for other fire victims.”

(WCN photo from September 13th fire)

Announced by the White Center Community Development Association: An online petition drive has been launched to demand more support from King County in the aftermath of the recent fires. From the petition page:

The White Center Community declares our state of emergency. After five fire events within the last four months, the entire community is devastated. The fires have affected 11 beloved businesses and their employees, all losing everything in the rash of fires over the last four months. The lack of timely and effective action from our elected officials, County staff, and the Sheriff’s Department have and will continue to impact our community negatively for many years to come.

We are alone in rebuilding our businesses and community.

Business owners and neighbors have raised over $290K for fire victims ($165K to the Lumber Yard) and continue to raise funds. Elected and County staff have not offered any additional emergency funds or additional support. The business district as a whole continues to experience crime, theft, violence, and a sharp decrease in monthly revenues.

The following businesses have been impacted and devastated: Huong Xua Deli, John’s Hair and Nails Salon, The Boxing Gym Westside, La Tipica Oaxaquena, Nuggi Boba, The Locker Room, Ben Schreck workshop, Dottie’s Doublewide, Rat City Tat2, Bizzarro Italian Café, Full Tilt, and The Lumber Yard.

This petition encompasses the needs surfaced from hundreds of hours of conversations over the past four months and over the past 25 years. We need an emergency fire response plan by our elected officials and County staff NOW.

INVEST IN WHITE CENTER SO WE CAN REBUILD, THRIVE AND GROW:

– Hire private security for 8 hours overnight, 7 days a week, to be funded by King County. Invest $175,000 per year into the community, targeting damaged areas immediately.

– $2M emergency relief funding outside of DLS grants to assist fire victims and stabilize the White Center Business District’s rebuilding efforts in collaboration with community (comprehensive business district plan, re-establishing/affirming zoning, etc.) immediately.

– Businesses who do not hold or have minimal insurance coverage should automatically be qualified for a minimum of $25,000 in emergency assistance immediately.

– Create a task force of professionals, available daily, on a drop-in basis, to help fire victims navigate systems and relationships. Provide 1:1 assistance (salvage assistance, navigating insurance, and permitting processes, assessing rebuilding options, funding, re-entry etc.) until the business is able to re-enter and resume regular business hours at full capacity immediately. Provide delivery of assistance in Vietnamese and Spanish.

– Build transparency and accountability between community members and the Sheriff’s Department. Provide basic details of all Sheriff’s deputies, duties, and assignments in White Center (names and badge numbers of officers working in White Center during the 2017 – 2021 Sheriff Department budget for White Center, and patrol routes).

– Fund a position to help retain existing businesses and recruit new businesses in White Center. The position will support existing businesses going through lease renewals or re-location, and assists property owners and developers that are rehabilitating or developing buildings with retail space design, pricing and tenanting.

The petition page also suggests contacting local officials, and includes their phone numbers.

(WCN photo, September 13th)

Less than two weeks after the 3-alarm fire that destroyed the closed Locker Room in downtown White Center, its neighbor to the north, Huong Xua Deli, is still struggling to recover from damage. (Our photo above shows what it looked like inside hours after the fire.) So their neighbors to the north, Full Tilt Ice Cream proprietors Justin Cline and Ann Magyar, have launched a crowdfunding page for community donations to help Huong Xua reopen. The page features this message from the deli’s owners:

My name is Kevin Bui and my wife is Phuong Nguyen. I came to the US when I was young. Growing up, I didn’t have that many opportunities and wealth. I had to work to support me and my family. Even through the struggle, our culture brings happiness and everybody together. That is why I wanted to open a small business to share some cultural foods such as Bánh Mì, Bún Bò Huế, thịt Heo Quay (Roasted Pork) and many more foods. When we inherited the business from the previous owners, everything was still the same but got slower from the pandemic. Not too long ago, our Roasted Pork Sandwich got rated #1 as the best Bánh Mì in the Puget Sound from The Seattle Times. I could say this was a blessing. Our business got more customers coming from all over the state. Everything was going well until a fire that was spread to our Deli. There were 3 fires that happened in a span of 5 months, but this time, Hương Xưa Deli was affected and damaged by the water and fire retardant. Our friendly neighbor from Full Tilt, started this fundraiser to help us rebuild our deli. Our family’s income depends on this business. Anything will help, thank you all for your support, I hope we can rebuild a new Deli as soon as possible located in the spot where we are right now to serve to our lovely community in White Center.

You can donate by going here.

P.S. Bizzarro Italian Café, south of the Locker Room, remains closed too. King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Tim Meyer told WCN that investigators believe “smoking material” started the fire, as was the case with the April fire that closed the Locker Room.

(WCN/WSB photo by Patrick Sand)

As reported in our original coverage of this morning’s three-alarm White Center fire, it’s the second time in five months that flames have torn through the Locker Room at 9633 16th SW – and this time, it’s a total loss. The owners were “on the cusp of starting to rebuild,” according to a crowdfunding page set up for them. It’s been a rough year, the organizer explains: “To be closed for covid multiple times…the first fire…and now just when it was looking up to start rebuilding…another fire.” Here’s where you can donate.

P.S. Neighboring businesses Bizzarro Italian Café and Huong Xua are both boarded up tonight. Bizzarro’s website says they’ll be closed “for a few weeks”; we’ll continue checking tomorrow on Huong Xua. As for the fire’s cause, we checked again with the FD at day’s end – no determination yet.