Investigator determines Tabit Village Square fire as accidental

A King County Sheriff’s Office fire investigator determined that the massive Dec. 7 fire at Mercer Island’s Tabit Village Square was accidental.

The multiple-alarm blaze occurred in a portion of the retail area that afternoon, and investigator Spencer Baumgartner later stated that the blaze involved “some of the electronics, electrical wiring in and around the space above some of the refrigeration units in the retail area.”

A total of 15 fire units from Mercer Island (three), Bellevue (11) and Eastside Fire & Rescue (one) were dispatched to the scene in the 7600 block of Southeast 27th Street after a 911 call came in at 1:19 p.m.

A caller witnessed gray smoke in the back room of one of the businesses along with smelling an electrical odor and hearing popping sounds in the ceiling, according to Eastside Fire & Rescue public information officer Catherine Breault. She also said that calls came from the Kitchen & Market Mercer Island.

“Our Mercer Island store is currently closed due to major fire damage. Thank you for your support and understanding,” reads a Kitchen & Market social media post, noting that everyone there was safe. “Thank you to all of you who have already reached out and asked how you can support. We are still navigating this devastating loss for our business and community.”

All the occupants of the structure evacuated safely and no injuries were reported, noted a city of Mercer Island post. According to a neighboring business owner, the birds were saved at Denise’s Parrot Place, which accumulated heavy smoke, and were relocated to the rear lot of KeyBank.

Breault said that the copious units had the fire under control at 2:08 p.m. and fully extinguished the fire by 2:47 p.m. During the overhaul portion of their job, firefighters pulled ceiling, looked for residual hot spots and more.

“Any time there’s a large fire event like that, we expect to put on quite a large fire attack. And this was certainly one of those responses where it required multiple agencies from throughout the region to get the fire under control and to be able to stop the spread,” said Breault, adding that the firefighters were able to save a lot of the businesses in the building.

Kitchen & Market and Denise’s Parrot Place were the only two businesses that were affected by the fire and they are currently shuttered. Kitchen & Market is flanked by a pair of empty spaces that previously housed Chick’s Shoes & Service and Blue Sky Cleaners.

Denise’s Parrot Place’s Rick Woehler, who owns the store with his mother Lori Woehler, took to social media to give robust updates on their harrowing experience on Dec. 7 and what has happened in the ensuing days.

“Thanks to the quick actions of our staff and heroic neighbors and helpers coming into the smoke to help, we were able to evacuate all of the birds away from the smoke. We have safely brought the birds to a nearby commercial unit. We want to express a level of gratitude that is hard to put in words to the people who helped run the birds out of the smoke,” reads one post.

Due to the building incurring extensive smoke and water damage when firefighters needed to puncture the roof to ventilate, Denise’s will need to dispose of almost everything within the shop. It is unknown when or if they’ll be able to reoccupy their shop.

Denise’s has created a GoFundMe to help cover costs for equipment to sanitize and maintain bird safety, continue to pay employees and more. Here’s the page link: http://tinyurl.com/3we9v7x4.

Employee Allison Wintrip said about 38 birds were rescued and added that they received invaluable assistance with the birds’ health from vets and staff members at Evergreen Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital in Kirkland.

Rick said that he’s been constantly on the go since the fire, including meeting with fire and insurance investigators and the building manager.

“I think we’ve all been working ourselves to the bone, but we are also only able to succeed so far because we’ve had people come in, and they came quickly to donate food, toys, time,” he told the Reporter. “Awesome loyal customers that just showed up and were there to help out as well as some friends of staff and all of the staff.”

Kitchen & Market owner and longtime Island resident Stephanie King said that they’re in a dark and awful situation following the fire and seeing the severe damage.

“It’s hard and it feels like a really great loss, but I do keep right at the front of my mind how lucky we are that no one got hurt, no one truly lost anything,” said King, who was testing recipes in her business’ commissary in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle when the fire broke out. They lost all their inventory in the store, which was the best performing Kitchen & Market of King’s three shops (the other two are in Pike Place Market and Medina).

Mercer Islanders have been amazing in this trying time, said King, noting that small businesses, vendors and customers have been lending a caring and supporting hand and asking how they can do more.

Copious Islanders have been shopping at Kitchen & Market’s other stores as King and her team are desperately trying to grow their sales in person and online. They’re trying to keep everyone employed, especially in the commissary where they produce all their own food. At the time of the fire, they had already produced three days worth of product and sent everything to their other stores.

“There has been a massive outpouring of support and so many people have asked us what (they) can do. And our response every time has been, it’s pretty simple, just ‘let us keep feeding you,’” King said.

For Kitchen & Market information, visit: https://kitchenandmarket.com/pages/locations