After the Merger: A Historical Look at West Pierce Fire Services

More than 70 years of change, growth and adaptation led to the merger of Pierce County Fire District No. 2 in Lakewood and Pierce County Fire District No. 3 in University Place earlier this year.

The Lakewood Historical Society hosted an event Tuesday about the Lakes Fire District, led by Society president Becky Huber, and about 40 community residents learned about the departments' history and also saw artifacts, photos and publications at St. Mary's Episcopal Church.

The growing Lakes District of the 1940s needed more and better fire services, so residents voted to create the Pierce County Fire Protection District No. 2. The first fire station was located in a converted garage near Clover Park High School.

Fort Lewis donated the only engine. The creation of Pierce County Fire District No. 3 in University Place arrived several years later. The first Pierce station was a former tomato shed along Grandview Avenue.

Fire services in Lakewood and University Place grew steadily during the late '40s and early '50s. Firefighters in both districts battled major blazes in those early years.

Part of the Meadow Park Golf Course's clubhouse—located just outside of Lakewood—went down in a blaze, destroying the gathering hall in 1960. The damage, a reported $250,000, was a record loss in Lakewood. The Tacoma Golf and Country Clubhouse became cinders the following year.

The local fire services got busier in the 1970s, when organized crime was responsible for several high-profile businesses going up in flames around Pierce County. Federal investigations ended with convictions of members of the Pierce County Sheriff Department. George V. Janovich Sr., the sheriff at the time, was among those convicted of protecting a nightclub and a bail-bond crime ring.

Among the fires set during that time, reportedly in mob retaliation, was one at the county's first strip club, Tiki Nightclub. Tiki was loctated at the former Villa Plaza, which is now the Lakewood Towne Center. Tiki had been under investigation for alleged mob ties since it opened in 1966. Other mob-related fires of that era included The Players Tavern, The Back Forty Tavern, The Exit Tavern and Night Moves.

Arsonists didn't limit their fires to nightclubs. Clover Park High School's grandstand and gym were destroyed in 1981. The area’s largest fire occurred the same year, when the Fred Meyer store was burned down by an arsonist. Fire damage was estimated at $10 million. (The location is now a Lowe’s, on 100th Street.)

Changes in fire suppression technology and tougher building codes have largely relegated such large blazes to the past.

Lakewood voters approved the creation of West Pierce County Fire & Rescue earlier this year, merging Lakewood and University Place. Fire department regionalization has become a common step in synchronizing fire agencies in neighboring districts.

The boundary lines separating the districts vanished, resulting in fire, rescue, emergency medical services, administration and other services from both cities functioning as a cohesive unit.

The City of Puyallup merged its department with Central Pierce Fire & Rescue in November 2008. Edgewood voted to merge with East Pierce Fire & Rescue this past February. Sharp said Orting and Milton could likely merge in 2011.

More areas are looking to save money and improve efficiencies by linking up. Thirty years ago there were 32 fire departments in Pierce County and now there are 20, a reduction of 37.5 percent.

West Pierce Fire Capt. Ken Sharp said the merger will save approximately $500,000.

Regarding the lengthy history of the area's fire departments, Sharp said the meeting shows how far we've made it.

"It gives us unique perspective," Sharp said. "We're three months post-merger and our history has ended, beginning with a new one."