Museum sounds the alarm for new fire detection

An alarm of sorts went off at last Friday’s fall party for the Skagit County Historical Museum – on purpose.

An enthusiastic crowd was enjoying itself at Maple Hall. Radio show host Mike in the Morning was master of ceremonies. Santo Coyote staff served the appetizers. The 120 or so folks showed their support for the Museum by buying tickets for five raffle items and bidding on 2024 naming rights to the East Wing. Madeline Roozen’s top bid was made in memory of her parents William and Helen Roozen, whose names will appear on the East Wing wall.

Lots of positive chatter about Museum audiences and activities was in the air. Then Director Jo Wolfe shared the story of the Aberdeen Museum, which lost 75 percent of its contents in a 2018 fire.

“The museum shared a building with the senior center,” Wolfe said. “A fire that started in the senior center kitchen burned for a long time before anyone noticed. It burned all of their exhibits and the archives in the basement were water damaged.”

Everything in an exhibit on the life of grunge rock star Kurt Cobain was destroyed, including objects and instruments donated by family members.

Aberdeen has yet to rebuild its museum. The Washington Museum Association is urging members to develop “a more organized, documented emergency response plan,” Wolfe told the Weekly News.

Earlier this year La Conner Fire Chief Aaron Reinstra toured the museum facilities.

The walk-through was meant to acquaint first responders with the building’s nooks, crannies and basement storage before they have to respond to a fire. While the building meets code for fire protection and staff meet monthly to review safety procedures, including protocols for evacuating guests in an emergency, Reinstra reported that their fire detection system should be replaced.

“We have 55,000 items in the museum alone, many one of a kind, many irreplaceable and our collection is much, much larger,” Wolfe told guests. “The upgraded smoke and fire detection system recommended by the fire department will cost between $32,000 and $57,000.” Not to mention the nine-month wait for installation, since so many public institutions are tackling this issue.

Fortunately, a $1,400 donation earmarked for fire detection came in before the auction. “Alarmed” by the news, party guests kicked in $11,725 more during the “Raise the Paddle” segment.

Wolfe later told the Weekly News that the Museum’s security system alerts staff when a motion detector is triggered or a door is opened after hours. The goal is to install something similar to alert staff and the fire department. The Skagit City School on Moore Road on Fir Island already has such a system and Fir Conway first responders can retrieve a master key from a lock box to inspect the premises.

Meanwhile, staff are identifying what and where important items are and how to get to them in an emergency. They’ve also been purging flammable or volatile items and identifying potential hazards like old negatives in the research library, which can off-gas when wet or on fire.

The Museum has many remarkable stories to tell, and Wolfe believes that a solid emergency plan will help it continue to tell them.

“Sometimes looking back gives you a better view of what is ahead,” said Maynard Axelson, a member of the Skagit County Pioneer Association and friend of the Museum who donated his skills as event auctioneer.

Which underscored the theme of the fall party: “Preserving what we’ve planted.”