What happened at the Assisted Care Centre, Arlington in 1998?

On 27 April 1998 a fire broke out at an Assisted Care Centre in Arlington, Washington. The fire would tragically kill eight residents.

The building was constructed in 1908. It was a two-storey wooden frame structure, although the walls were constructed using plasterboard lining. The building was originally used as a hospital and later used as a mental care residential unit after many renovations and changes of use.

The building was equipped with some mains operated fire detection and manual call points, plus an electronic sounder on each floor. There was no water sprinkler system employed.

How did the Arlington Assisted Care Centre fire start?

The room of origin belonged to three patients, one of whom was believed to have set the bed alight using a cigarette lighter or match.

The fire started on the first floor around 11pm. The floor had three means of egress; a stairwell on the north end that discharged to the exterior, an exterior door on the south end that led to an exterior handicapped ramp, and an interior stairway in the middle of the floor area that discharged into the first floor corridor.

The interior stairway had a solid core door that was equipped with an automatic closer located on a landing between levels. It was determined that at the time of the fire the door was helped open by a 10-pound block.

What can the industry learn from the Arlington Assisted Care Centre fire?

The fire was discovered by a member of staff who, unfortunately, left the door of the room open, providing more oxygen and enabling the fire to spread beyond the room.

The National Fire Protection Association investigation concluded;

• Bedding material did not contain any fire retardant
• Lack of an automatic fire sprinkler system
• Lack of smoke detectors in the room of origin
• An open door to the room of origin allowed the fire to spread into the corridor. Various other open fire doors allowed the fire to spread from the first floor to the second floors and directly in the line with the stairway
• Surface linings promoted the spread of flame