Kent, Washington – Fire at Paper-Shredding Facility

Kent, Washington  (February 20, 2020) – A fire occurred at a commercial paper shredding facility on the 18700 block of East Valley Highway on Thursday afternoon. According to information from Puget Sound Fire, there were no injuries reported in the incident and the fire had been confined to a machine. The cause of the incident was not reported. No road closures were reported in relation to the incident.

About Fire

It is fortunate that no one was injured in this particular case, and the firefighters are to be commended for their response. Like any other structure, commercial buildings must be checked for fire safety. Most if not all the steps in fire safety involve securing the area of one’s business or residence. It is also important to make sure that possible combustible materials are discarded properly or at the very least kept away from buildings. They also urge owners of buildings to review fire safety and make sure that an escape plan is formulated in case of fire.

Much like fire safety in other types of buildings, there are different factors which can add or detract the risk of a fire breaking out. The structure and materials that a building is made out of should be assessed for fire safety before construction. It is also advised that all buildings should be equipped with proper fire suppression tools and detection devices such as fire alarms and smoke alarms. Taking these simple steps should help prevent or lessen the risk of fire. Like with all accidents, the effects of fire are dreadful, including property damage and loss as well as injuries or even fatalities. Fire safety is then not only consideration for one’s self, but also consideration for others.

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