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.
The need for better fire protection for the lumber mills and manufacturing plants at Old Town was brought to the attention of the city council last night by a petition signed by the manufacturers of that district. The petitioners ask that the city extend the water mains along the waterfront in that section, so that the danger of a large fire may be minimized. At the present time the nearest mains are 1,000 feet away from the mills, and they have practically no fire protection except that furnished by the companies themselves.
“The petitioners ask that the city extend the water mains along the waterfront in that section, so that the danger of a large fire may be minimized.”
Fire safety and infrastructure investment remains a tension in Tacoma's historic Old Town, where the proximity of light industry to residential areas has long shaped the neighborhood's development. Ensuring that safety infrastructure keeps pace with industrial growth was a key civic battle then, just as modern zoning and fire codes dictate the character of our waterfront today.
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