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09/24/2005: "Bld & Planning Closed Until Oct 3rd: Fire Damage"

Public Works personnel respond on Saturday to repair damage

UPDATE:Appeals that are time-sensitive and that need to be submitted in person should be taken to the front desk at the Health and Community Services Department by 4:30 PM on the required day. The Health and Community Services Department's address is 145 Rhone Street in Friday Harbor (the next door down from the Community Development and Planning Department).

Presently Department staff are working at remote locations to continue to process building and land use permits.

A fire of unknown origins started in the ceiling of the Court House Annex early Saturday morning. Smoke was seen coming from the flat roof of the building and the Friday Harbor Fire Department responded to the scene. The source of the smoke was between the ceiling and the roof of the building, directly over a common work and file area of the Community Development & Planning Department.

When the FH Fire Fighters evaluated the scene, they decided they had time to cover the files and office equipment with tarps prior to opening the ceiling and putting out the fire with water. According to Dave Zeretzke, the SJC Risk Manager, this professional approach to combating the fire saved the taxpayers thousands of dollars, for had they not taken the action they did to protect the office interior from water and debris damage, there would have been equipment and documents destroyed by the water.

Public Works personnel were joined on Saturday in the job of cleaning up the debris and working on patching the hole in the roof, by an employee of the roofing company that has been re-roofing the building. It is expected the Planning and Building departments will be closed until Thursday morning.