A charred fireplace is all that remains of an Edmonds house after the Edmonds Fire Department sacrificed it July 16 to a live fire-training exercise.
That, and invaluable experience for firefighters involved in the controlled fire at 7518 219th St. SW., just south of Stevens Hospital.
No injuries were sustained and the exercise came off without a hitch, according to training and safety chief Mark Correira.
Neighbors were notified in advance and no one expressed concern over the plan that temporarily shut down nearby parking lots and a street, Correira said.
A handful of observers watched the goings-on from lawn chairs and not a single 911 fire call about the exercise was received, he added.
Using wood pallets and flares, officers set ablaze a dilapidated wood-frame house behind the TOP Food and Drug store. The exercise gave new firefighters and paramedics, especially, experience in fighting both interior and structural fires, Correira said.
A year ago the investment firm that owns the property offered the house to the fire department for training purposes, according to Correira.
A commercial building that will house medical and other professional offices is slated to be built there.
Usually, Correira noted, applications for demolition permits are routed through the fire department for the purpose of identifying possible training sites.
The department looks for suitable structures without other buildings nearby and other safety criteria. It’s not a free ride for the owner, he added, because the structure has to be stripped of all metal appliances, carpeting and asbestos materials among other prep work.
But the demolition permit is waived and owners have to cart off to the dump much less cindery debris than they would with a regular demolition, the training officer acknowledged.
Due to insufficient staff to plan and execute a live-fire burn, Edmonds has not conducted one for about a year, Correira said. He added he would like to see several per year because of their tremendous educational value.
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