Olympia's Close Call with Fire
A dangerous blaze at the Secretary of the Territory's office sparks calls for safer building practices.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
On Thursday morning, the 12th, about daylight, the office of Elwood Evans, Secretary of the Territory, was discovered to be on fire. Through the vigilant efforts of Mr. Charles Grainger, whose livery stable is on an adjacent lot, the alarm was given, and citizens turned out to conquer the flames despite inclement weather. Mr. Evans expressed his thanks to the citizens for rescuing his property, including vital legislative records and attorney papers. The fire was caused by poorly constructed fireplaces, where chimneys were built directly onto wooden floors and joists. We urge the City Fathers to pass a strict ordinance requiring stone foundations and proper clearance for fireplaces, and suggest that public offices procure fire-proof safes to protect vital archives from future loss.
“This fire, not the first which has occurred from similar causes, during the past winter, suggests attention to the manner in which chimneys and fire places are customarily constructed.”
Fire prevention was a constant struggle in 1860s Olympia, where wooden structures were notoriously fire-prone. Today, the focus has shifted from fire-resistant masonry to the seismic retrofitting and historic preservation of the same downtown building stock.
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