Fire stirs town panels' talks on housing density

In the aftermath of a June 20 house fire that threatened neighboring homes, La Conner residents questioned growth management population projections for the town that have increased residential density as vacant lots fill in.

“As everybody here knows, we’ve had a tragic fire here on Fifth Street,” Town Emergency Management Commission chair Jerry George said during that board’s July 2 meeting at Maple Hall. “That fire was hot and fast.”

George lives a few paces from the home that was engulfed in flames and was among neighbors who helped water adjoining lawns and houses.

“For me, it was a telling fire,” he said. “It made me significantly fearful. First, for the equipment necessary to respond to such a fire. And second, the way our town is arranged. In the front of that house, the fire could be fought. It was more difficult to the rear.”

The fire gutted the house of Tony and Jane Mitchell and caused smoke damage to nearby homes. George said it could’ve had a far worse outcome had it not been for fast action of local firefighters and neighbors.

“It could’ve been worse if it wasn’t for a lot of great people,” George said. “That fire could’ve been much worse.

“The (state) Growth Management Act calls for La Conner to shoehorn houses into every vacant lot,” he added. “That’s suicidal as far as fire is ­concerned.”

Town Administrator Scott Thomas and Assistant Planner Ajah Eills offered a more optimistic outlook.

Thomas said building codes have gotten more stringent, requiring fire-resistant walls.

Eills, who facilitated the planning commission meeting that followed the emergency management session, said town code mandates new structures be sprinkled when built within 10 feet of a property line or another building.

“It’s not always a popular requirement because sometimes the applicant has to replace an existing water line for fire flow,” Eills said.

She said that Fire Chief Aaron Reinstra reviews site plans for new construction. However, she acknowledged that the new codes don’t apply to existing structures.

“Yes,” she said, “it’s scary to have a bunch of older houses next to each other but we have a great fire department. And new construction requires sprinkling.”

Thomas said the Mitchell house fire is probably the first major blaze here in a generation.

“I think this is the first structure fire we’ve had in 30 years,” Thomas said. “I think what this group can do is point out what residents can do – like maintaining their smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.”

Mayor Marna Hanneman credited firefighters, neighbors and divine intervention with keeping the Fifth Street fire from spreading to other houses.

“There’s usually a wind that comes up about the time the fire started,” she said, “but on that day there was no wind then. It didn’t start up until after the fire was out.”

Longtime La Conner resident Linda Talman echoed George’s sentiments during the planning commission meeting, praising firefighters for their yeoman work in trying circumstances.

“Houses are too close together,” she said. “There were houses around there that were impacted (by smoke damage). We need to really examine our setbacks. What happened in this fire to neighboring houses could happen on Maple Avenue and elsewhere.”

In other business, planning commissioners considered a request by Talman that future community mingles be held at a site with better acoustics than the Civic Garden Club, and include public safety training or incentives to boost attendance.

Commissioner Cynthia Elliott spoke in favor of the mingles addressing specific and relevant topics. She said a recent mingle on potential uses for the Jenson Property was effective, but no immediate action is anticipated there due to town fiscal ­constraints.

“It would be helpful if the mingles are relevant at the time (they are held),” Elliott said.

Eills said the Public Works Department will use a Skagit County traffic counter on South Second Street ahead of the conversion of First Street to one-way southbound traffic in the fall.

As for the emergency management commission, George said its work on a Community Emergency Management Plan is about 90% complete.