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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1903 | 2 |
| 1904 | 82 |
| 1909 | 70 |
154 stories matching fire
- Fire Hazards Spark Call to Expand County Hospital
Following a nearby blaze, officials realize the hospital is too crowded and lacks sufficient fire escapes.
- The East End Fire Fight
After a local shop burned down, a councilman demands improved water access and fire equipment for the city's growing East End.
- Forest Fires Ravage Vashon and Peninsula
Settlers battle encroaching brush fires across Vashon Island and the mainland near Olalla.
- The Battle for Fire Safety on Pacific Avenue
Tacoma’s People's Store faces legal action for refusing to install mandatory fire escapes.
- The Fire Safety Debate of 1904
Tacoma building owners argue that 'fireproof' construction renders fire escapes redundant, but city officials stand their ground.
- House Fire at North Fife Street
A residence at 610 North Fife Street is heavily damaged by a blaze likely caused by faulty wiring while the owners were sitting in the floor below.
- A Fifth Ward SOS: Water Pressure and Fire Safety
Councilman Christoffenson demands a formal investigation into the 'woefully inadequate' water pressure plaguing the Fifth Ward, pushing for a dedicated fire engine.
- High Winds Spark Multiple Fires Across Tacoma
A day of high winds kept city fire crews busy across several neighborhoods, threatening industrial sites and residential homes.
- Old Town Lumber Mill Reduced to Ash
A massive blaze consumes the Puget Sound Lumber Company plant, highlighting the urgent need for a dedicated city fire-boat.
- Freight Steamer Destroyed by Fire
The steamer City of Denver is lost to fire in the Sullivan Slough, destroying its cargo of hay.
- Midland Residents Demand Fire Safety
Neighbors petition the county fire warden to stop a local mill from burning refuse in open air, fearing forest destruction.
- Fire Department Botches North End Blaze
A carpenter shop burns to the ground as equipment fails and engines fail to build pressure.
- Fire Horses Run Amok in Downtown Seattle
A tragic accident involving runaway fire horses and a streetcar leaves one young girl dead and several others injured.
- Tacoma’s Theaters Face Shutdown Over Fire Safety
Following a disaster in Chicago, Mayor Campbell orders city officials to inspect local entertainment venues for fire hazards.
- Railroad Shifts to Oil to Prevent Wildfires
A change in engine fuel is welcomed as a major fire prevention strategy for Washington's forests.
- The Fire Chief Fired Over a Fourth of July Parade
A political power struggle ends the tenure of Tacoma's fire chief after he defied the Mayor's orders to march in the holiday parade.
- The Old Town Fire Hazard
Lumber mill operators petition the City Council for expanded water mains to combat the risk of conflagration in the city's industrial district.
- Persian Rug Store Ravaged by Early Morning Blaze
A mysterious fire in the Tacoma Theater building destroyed the inventory of a local Oriental goods merchant.
- Painter’s Rags Spark Fire in North End Home
A clerk for the Northern Pacific Railway suffered painful burns while battling a fire in his own residence.
- The Battle Over the Waterfront Fireboat
City council debates whether the general public or wealthy industrial interests should pay for the city's new fire protection infrastructure.
- The Indestructible Old Depot
Staff at the Northern Pacific depot continued their work unbothered even as a small fire broke out in their lunch counter.
- Father Wades Through Fire to Save Five Children
A local fisherman braves a blazing home in Seattle to rescue his sleeping children as the kitchen collapses in flames.
- Explosion Rocks Rooming House on Pacific Avenue
A defective chimney sparks a blaze in a three-story rooming house, leading to a mysterious explosion that shook the entire structure.
- The Price of a Fire: Stolen Lubricant
A Wilkerson man is jailed for pilfering railroad grease to heat his home.
- The Mayor’s Chimneys Are on Fire
Two separate blazes in Tacoma’s South End prompt a frantic response from the city fire department, revealing that even elected officials are not immune to the dangers of defective flues.