Lynnwood fire destroys behavioral health nonprofit building

EVERETT — A structure fire destroyed a building that housed a behavioral health nonprofit Sunday evening in Lynnwood.

Shortly before 7:15 p.m. Sunday, South County Fire received reports of a commercial structure fire at 3924 204th St. SW in Lynnwood, South County Fire spokesperson Christie Veley said.

Because of the construction of the building, it took firefighters more than two hours to get the fire under control. Firefighters remained in place as the fire continued to smolder and flare up for hours longer, Veley said.

No injuries were reported and the Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire, Veley said. As of Monday morning, the office does not believe fireworks were involved, and there is no indication of a suspicious cause, Veley said.

The building housed the Center for Human Services, a behavioral health nonprofit that provides mental health and substance use services to youth and adults. The nonprofit has five locations and has been in the Lynnwood building for four years, Executive Director Beratta Gomillion said.

“My reaction was shock,” she said. “We certainly didn’t expect this.”

The Lynnwood location houses more than 50 staff members and an intensive mental health support program for youth and families that serves about 200 people, Gomillion said.

“Fortunately, much of the work that we do is out in the community and not necessarily in the offices,” she said. “So our plan is to go ahead and provide services with as little disruption as possible, and just not have a building for right now.”

Firefighter will continue keeping an eye on the building, Veley said. While the cause of the fire is uncertain, South County Fire is advising Snohomish County residents to use heat sources with caution.

“Our conditions are so dry and warm, so fires can start quickly,” she said.

Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.