City Inspector Cracks Down on Defective Chimneys
Building Inspector Hebblethwaite condemns six chimneys in a single week for fire safety violations.
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Building Inspector Hebblethwaite is waging a strenuous campaign against irresponsible builders who are not living up to the city's building codes for chimneys. During the last week, he condemned six chimneys, all of which had to be torn down and rebuilt because they were not lined or were improperly constructed. A new ordinance expected to be passed by the council this week will require all chimneys to extend clear to the ground.
“Building Inspector Hebblethwaite is waging a strenuous campaign against the irresponsible builders who are not living up to the rules.”
Public safety enforcement against shortcuts taken by developers is a perennial struggle in Tacoma's growth cycle. This 1910s concern over fire-safe infrastructure echoes current debates about building quality and code enforcement in the city’s rapid housing expansion.
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