Written by 
Photo of active fire posted by Ria Arias on Facebook Renton Crime and Safety
For the second time in less than four months a substantial fire occurred in Renton’s plaza containing the Veterans Memorial Park and the Renton History Museum. Today’s fire occurred around 3:00 PM, and damaged landscaping and flags at the Veterans Memorial Park while getting dangerously close to the nearby historic building that houses a bicycle shop. The May 15 fire occurred a short distance away, up against the Renton History Museum. (Businesses in the area report that there have been a few other smaller fires in the area during the past months, but these smaller fires have been successfully extinguished by concerned residents and business owners before growing to needing a professional fire response.)
Renton Regional Fire Authority responded very quickly, as crews reported that an engine company was just returning from another call and passing the intersection at the time the flames were spotted. The quick response kept the building out of significant danger. The side of the building is brick, but the fire was leaping toward the tar and wooden roof when firefighters arrived.
While the official cause of today’s fire has not been formally identified, initial indications suggest it was caused by human actions as opposed to electrical or mechanical causes.
The Veterans Memorial Park was dedicated 20 years ago on May 26, as a joint project between VFW Post 1263, Renton American Legion Post 19, and the City of Renton. The park contains the names of over 2,000 veterans etched into granite tile plaques, and holds very special meaning to the families of these and other veterans. Prior to the creation of the park, the location was the site of an aging building that housed a law office.
Singed flags still fly over the Veterans Memorial thanks to quick work by Renton Fire Authority (Photo by Marcie Palmer)
Renton fire fighters in the flag pavilion work to get the last embers extinguished (Photo by Marcie Palmer)
South Third Street traffic was backed up due to the fire scene at Veterans Memorial Park (photo by Marcie Palmer)
Today’s fire scene (photo by Marcie Palmer)
14 weeks ago, a similar fire started in a close by location, up against the History Museum. This is a photo from the May 15 Fire Scene. (Photo by Randy Corman)
May 15 fire scene, near today’s scene (Photo by Randy Corman)
Veterans Memorial Park was dedicated 20 years ago; May 26, 2003, by Renton VFW Post 1263, Renton American Legion Post 19, Mayor Jesse Tanner, and Council Members Briere, Clawson, Corman, Keolker-Wheeler, Nelson, Parker, and Persson (Photo by Randy Corman)
Kim Van’s solution is to defund the police.
Whatever you got, Randy, it’s got to be better.
Ugh, not this again. Every time something happens, we get those conservatives trying to brew fear in our community. Like, chill out, the Renton Regional Fire Authority was on it and they were quick! We’ve got to remember that sometimes unfortunate events, like these fires, are just that – unfortunate. Doesn’t mean there’s some boogeyman out there.
We can’t let these incidents divide us or stir up unnecessary panic. Instead, let’s come together, support each other, and figure out how to prevent stuff like this in the future without taking the easy route and adding police. Our city’s got heart, and together we’re resilient AF. 💪❤️
You again? Go back to making TikToks.
The simple fact is that we’re living on the brink of severe bullshit. And we deserve it for lagging behind in increasing our police force to match our growing population, decriminalizing fentanyl use, and wasting billions of tax dollars on grifting ‘homeless advocates’.
You know what we need to do? Make sure we’re voting in city council members who aren’t asleep at the wheel.
While I did like the advertisement that was painted on that wall, I do hope they replant that tree fence and get rid of the fire damaged trees.
Thursday, September 28, 2023 — UPDATE:
The Renton History Museum posted on Facebook today that the trees have been removed.
This has uncovered some history — old signs painted years ago on the building.
https://www.facebook.com/rentonhistorymuseum