Thurston County homeless shelter damaged by apartment fire, official says
Maple Court, a former motel that was converted into an enhanced homeless shelter with individual apartments, was damaged by fire late Friday night, a Lacey fire official said Monday.
Lacey Fire District 3 was dispatched about 11:40 p.m. to the 8200 block of Quinault Drive Northeast after a report of a fire on the second floor of the building, said Todd Carson, deputy chief of operations.
The fire alarm was activated, so some residents evacuated from the building and some sheltered in place, he said.
The shelter can accommodate more than 100 people.
Fire sprinklers were activated in the unit, which prevented the fire from spreading and limited the damage, Carson said.
However, one person suffered from smoke inhalation and was taken to an area hospital, he said
It was not immediately clear if that person had occupied the apartment or was in another part of the building, he said.
Fire crews cleared the scene at 1:22 a.m Saturday, Carson said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, he said.
