Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Two firefighters hurt fighting house fire in Puyallup
Posted by Mike Archbold @ 07:56:36 pm

Two Central Pierce Fire and Rescue firefighters received minor injuries this afternoon fighting a fire in a two story house in the North Puyallup area.

Central Pierce Battalion Chief Bob Hudspeth said no one living in the house in the house at 6315 Milwaukee Ave. East. were not injured. The family dog, however, died in the blaze that was called in to 911 at about 4:25 p.m., he said.

When firefighters arrived, smoke and flames were coming out of the upstairs windows, Hudspeth said.

A woman who lived there had run back into the house to try and fight the fire but a bystander ran in after her and brought her back out, he said.

The firefighters suffered minor burns when they entered the burning house after a report that other people were seen going back into the house. It turned out no one was in the house, he said.

“They went deep into fire to rescue people that weren’t there,” Hudspeth said.

The firefighters were treated at the scene and stayed to fight the fire which was under control by 5 p.m., he said.

Hudspeth said the fire gutted the older home, causing an estimated $100,000 damage to house and contents.

The American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter was called to the scene. A Red Cross spokeswoman said they provided food, clothing and shelter for the three adults who lived in the rental house.

The cause of the fire, which appeared to start in a bedroom, is under investigation by the Pierce County Fire Marshall, he said.

Twenty-one firefighters on four engines, two ladder trucks, two Medic units and command vehicles responded to the blaze.

The campers Friday also featured some newcomers to Kopachuck. Mat and Crystal Marinelli of Gig Harbor took one of the last campgrounds remaining.

Crystal Marinelli said she heard about Kopachuck’s possible closure earlier this year.

Her reaction at the time? “Don’t take our parks.”

They loved the fact that they could have water gun fights with their 4-year-old son, Giovanni, early in the day and later drive less than a mile to pick up their daughter, Sophia. The 6-year-old attends Voyager Elementary School.
Mat Marinelli said his wife tells him all the time that their family can camp in their back yard.

“We haven’t,” he said. Friday. “Now we will.”

For those people struggling in this difficult economy, there is a resource fair in Tacoma Saturday to help them pull through the hard times.

Pierce County for Change, a grassroots organization formed last December, is sponsoring the Resource Fair which will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Organizers said Tacoma Power will be there to discuss reduced bills. The Episcopal Church will help with foreclosure issues. Health agencies along with AFL-CIO Community Services and representatives of the Pierce County Labor Council will be there.

Information will be provided on topics such as ways to cut energy and food costs, lower cost health and dental programs and education programs.

The fair is being held at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Hall at 3049 South 36th St. The event is free and open to the public.

As I walked the loop of campsites that Kopachuck State Park offers, I ran into a woman who's turned Memorial Day camping into a family tradition.

Jodi Mercer has gone camping every Memorial Day weekend for the past 20-plus years.

Her family and friends usually camp at Saltwater State Park in Des Moines, but decided to make the switch this year.

The first time she took her now 9-year-old son, Zachary, camping was when he was 3 months old.

Mercer and her mother, Beate Zoike of Tacoma, go camping every year to celebrate their birthdays, as evidenced today by the sliced cake at her picnic table.

"We'd really be crushed if they closed the park," she said.

Read more about Kopachuck's busy Friday before Memorial Day in tomorrow's print edition.

Just arrived at Kopachuck State Park to interview campers for a story on outdoors-ing it for the busy Memorial Day weekend.

I first stopped at the office of the park ranger (or park manager, for those born after the Yogi Bear cartoons were popular)

I asked how business was doing today, thinking 50 percent to 75 percent of the park's campsites were full.

The response from Park Manager Tom Pew? "We're 100 percent full already."

That's right, Kopachuck has been full since about 8:30 a.m., today. This is one of Washington State Parks' busiest holiday weekends for camping, along with the July Fourth and Labor Day weekends.

And campers might cherish their stays this year more so than any other. The state was threatening to close some parks because of a lack of revenue, including Kopachuck and Joemma Beach.

But after public outcry, lawmakers instead decided to keep parks open via a $5 registration fee on vehicles.

For that, Pew said, "The rangers say 'Thank you' to the people of the state of Washington."

Read more about this story in tomorrow's print edition