Child starts apartment fire with a lighter
A Federal Way family living in an apartment in the 1300 block of Southwest Campus Drive was displaced from their home at about 9 a.m. Aug. 5 after a 4-year-old child appeared to have started a fire in the apartment, South King Fire and Rescue spokeswoman Kirsti Weaver said.
The child was playing with a lighter and fireworks when the flame ignited, Weaver said. SKFR firefighters contained the fire to a bedroom within 18 minutes, but the apartment suffered severe smoke damage.
The American Red Cross has been contacted to assist the six-person family.
South King Fire and Rescue offers a Fire Stoppers class to help educate children on the dangers of playing with fire. The class is designed for children who have a history of playing with fire and adults who are unsure of how to teach their children about fire safety. It is conducted one-on-one with families and can accommodate a family’s schedule, Weaver said.
For information on the class, visit www.federalwayfire.org or call Weaver at (253) 946-7337.
Flashing yellow left turn signal
The city’s third flashing yellow left turn signal has been added at Military Road South and South 288th Street. The signal allows drivers to turn left on the flashing yellow when safe to do so.
Two of these devices are in place already. One is at South 336th Street and 9th Avenue South; the other is at Pacific Highway South and South 312th Street. The traffic signals help speed up traffic and decrease collisions, city spokeswoman Linda Farmer said.
In addition to these signals, between the weekday hours of 11:30 p.m. and 5 a.m., some of the city’s traffic signals will feature a green, yellow and flashing yellow light sequence.
This will allow drivers to continue through the intersection without making a complete stop if traffic is not coming. This is expected to improve traffic flow, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save residents gas, Farmer said.
Park improvement workshop
A public workshop to discuss future improvement plans to Dash Point and Saltwater State Parks will be held at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 12 at the Federal Way Regional Library, 34200 First Way South.
Preliminary recommendations for the parks’ uses will be discussed. To learn more, visit the Washington State Parks Web site at www.parks.wa.gov/plans.
