Community Police & Fire
Investigation continues into fire at Gig Harbor construction site
The Pierce County Fire Marshal’s Office is looking for information from anyone who may have information about an arson fire in a new development near the corner of Hunt Street and 38th Avenue.
The fire occurred early Sunday morning, July 17. Two homes, which were under construction in a new development known as The Cove, were heavily damaged.
Anyone with information or who may have seen anything suspicious in the area is asked to call 1-800-55-ARSON (1-800-552-7766).
An item posted on the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office’ “Over the Weekend” police blotter indicates that a deputy sent to The Cove fire “learned that two houses had been set on fire.” The post indicated that investigators gathered surveillance video and the investigation is ongoing.
Other recent fires not related
The fire in The Cove is the only of three fires that occurred between Jul7 15 and July 17 that is considered suspicious, according to information provided by the Pierce County Fire Marshal’s Office earlier this week.
Todd Meyer, assistant chief for operations with Gig Harbor Fire and Medic One, responded to all three fires — at The Cove, at a yacht tied up off North Harborview Drive and at a house on Vernhardson Place.
He observed that some people commenting on social media threads about the fires continue to insist that the three fires must be related.
The Vernhardson fire started in the engine compartment of a car that had just been parked next to the house. The cause of the boat fire has not yet been determined, but investigators believe it is not related.
An emergency services-tracking app known as Pulse Point may inadvertently contribute to the confusion.
Pulse Point alerts people when the fire department or medical aid crews are dispatched in their area. But sometimes a fire can get dispatched more than once.
For instance, moments after the fire at The Cove was dispatched, a driver on Highway 16 reported seeing a plume of smoke. That turned out to be from the Cove fire, but it was dispatched separately out of an abundance of caution.
At least one other small fire started because embers blown away from The Cove fire sparked flammable materials a few blocks away, Meyer said. That gets dispatched separately, too.
It can leave Pulse Point users and emergency scanner listeners with the wrong impression.
“This one fire is calling all these events,” Meyer said. “It’s multiple calls, but still it’s one fire.”