When The Beachcomber staff received word of a commercial fire at the corner of Vashon Highway and 204th Street on Friday afternoon, little did any of us know the potential the incident would have to turn into a disaster.
Vashon Energy is a propane supply company that stores propane in multiple large tanks on the property, including an 18,000-gallon tank and a 500-gallon tank. It is believed that Friday’s fire started when something went wrong with a valve on a propane line that was being worked on. The line was used to pump propane from the tanks into trucks that deliver the propane to island customers. The initial explosion was forceful enough to launch one employee far into the air and push another out the door. According to witness statements, the employee that was launched and burned immediately began to move the nearby trucks. Shortly after, Vashon Island Fire & Rescue (VIFR) firefighters and volunteers arrived — within five minutes of initial reports — and worked on extinguishing the fire and keeping the other tanks cool to prevent explosions.
In the end, three people were sent to hospitals and all have recovered or are expected to. The quick work by Vashon Energy employees, witnesses and VIFR prevented a potentially larger disaster that could have resulted in more being injured, if not killed. Friday’s situation has created deep appreciation for Vashon’s small fire department that is currently in flux while financial constraints exist and the paramedic transition is looming.
Earlier last week, VIFR passed its 2017 budget, a $3.6 million spending plan that is pulling $450,000 from the district’s unreserved fund. The department will need additional revenue for 2018 operations and will go to the public in the spring as part of an outreach effort to explain what the department does and increase funding.
Assistant Chief Bob Larsen called the department’s financial picture “significant” and board chair Candy McCullough said the 2017 budget is “the best we can do for the community, but barely within our resources.”
Friday’s incident gave the island a serious wake-up call regarding the department’s services and what inadequate funding could mean for the island. As rare as it is for events such as Friday’s to occur on bucolic Vashon, when things do go south, the island is lucky to have the response necessary to deal with it. While appreciated, expressing gratitude on social media is not enough to make a difference. The island will need to consider and rally for the necessary finances to keep VIFR strong. Also of utmost importance, VIFR has an unending need for volunteers, not only for skilled firefighters and EMTs, but for support staff to assist at fires and incidents. We hope more islanders will step forward to fill those needs.
