Port Townsend: Fire chief details ambitious inspection plan of historical buildings

PORT TOWNSEND — The city’s historical downtown core has escaped conflagration for more than a century.

Fire Chief Ed Edwards worries that luck could be running out.

“The big concern is the downtown area,” Edwards said. “If we lose a building or a block, there goes the city budget.

“The Port (of Port Townsend) is another major concern.”

The department will soon begin a regular inspection program to identify fire hazards that could cause anything from minor fires to major catastrophes.

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