Fire personnel responded March 2nd, at 2:10 pm to the report of a fire in a two-story abandoned home at 601 M St NE. Units from Valley Regional Fire Authority, South King Fire and Rescue, Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority and King County Medic One were worked together to extinguish the fire and prevent damage to surrounding structures.
Arriving on scene firefighters found the house boarded up. Public Information & Education OfficerKimberly Terhune shared that this provided a challenge as it impeded quick entry, while the fire grew inside the home.
Once crews gained entry, they were able to clear the structure, confirming the home was unoccupied. Reaching the second-floor, crews determined the building’s roof was not sound. Crews exited the building, and a defensive strategy was executed.
Much of the blaze was brought under control by 4:22 pm. Crews cleared the scene by 7:15 pm. The location of the fire caused M St NE to be closed for several hours.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Video shot by John Feher.
Enhanced Services Facility
This property was purchased in 2018 by the Mittman Family Trust, a developer out of California. The City of Auburn has been working with the developer for the past two years in their effort to utilize the property as an Enhanced Services Facility.
Enhanced services facilities are defined, funded, and regulated by the State of Washington. Their purpose is to assist individuals with behavioral health issues by providing daily care and oversight in a residential and community setting.
Permits from the city have not been issued for the property, confirmed Jeff Tate, Director of Community Development Services. The plan for the property was to utilize the existing structure. “I believe that they were receiving some state funding that was contingent on preserving the structure. With the structure now gone, I’m not sure how their state funding is impacted,” said Tate.
The Washington House of Representatives and Senate both recently unanimously voted to approve Substitute House Bill 2448. This house bill:
- Modifies admissions standards for enhanced services facilities. The new standards require that residents be medically and physically stable. The standards also update behavior and history-related factors that must be considered when determining eligibility for admission.
- Changes the scope of care provided by enhanced services facilities from a focus on treatment to support and services. These changes turn enhanced services facilities from continued treatment facilities to bridge services.
Check out the recently passed enhanced services facilities standards
Header photo and video both taken and provided by John Feher. For more aerial photos by John, check out: https://www.feher.org, https://www.youtube.com/user/johnfeher, https://www.instagram.com/john.o.feher, https://500px.com/pacifictrade
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