Following a devastating wildfire season where over 800,000 acres were burned in Washington State and communities like Malden and Pine City were mostly destroyed, a bill is making its way through the state legislature that looks to prevent these kinds of fires. House Bill 1168, championed by Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, looks to add resources to both wildfire prevention in forest restoration and wildfire response with more firefighting equipment and personnel.
- PUB DATE: 4/10/2021 11:17:01 PM - SOURCE: KHQ-TV NBC 6 Spokane

Seattle Police say a 32-year-old man is under investigation for arson after a witness allegedly saw him leaving the scene of a fire at a construction site in South Seattle. This is the second time in less than a week that a fire has been set at the site. Police say the witness had gotten out of bed around 3 a.
- PUB DATE: 4/10/2021 9:15:27 PM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 and Radio 1000

West Valley firefighters say someone has been using a pole-mounted electrical transformer near Tampico for target practice. Twice in the past week firefighters and Pacific Power crews have responded to reports of a leaking transformer in the 500 block of North Fork Road, finding that the can-like device has been shot.
- PUB DATE: 4/10/2021 3:43:30 AM - SOURCE: Yakima Herald-Republic - Metered Site

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $20,000 to anyone who can help identify two arson suspects who tried to burn down the Seattle Police Officers Guild during the protests last summer. Investigators say the two suspects were seen scouting the area around the guild's office in the SODO neighborhood.
- PUB DATE: 4/9/2021 9:59:31 PM - SOURCE: KCPQ-TV FOX 13 Seattle

According to a report on LaCrosseTribune.com, the Preservation Alliance of La Crosse (WI) released plans that aim to allow for the existing Fire Station No. 4 to remain alongside the new facility the city plans to build in the coming years.

The idea, released Thursday after community members raised concerns about demolishing the historic building, is to flip the site plan so that the new facility would be built on the south end of the lot and no changes would need to be made to the existing building, the report said.

The city is currently waiting for the La Crosse Common Council to make a final vote on whether to shift funding from the Station No. 4 project to instead begin work on Station No. 2 while officials work out the historical kinks. If the move is approved, a new station can still break ground within the year, according to the report.

Fire Station No. 4, built in the 1940s, was intended to be demolished later this year to break ground on the new facility, budgeted at $2.4 million, the report noted.