More than a year after a fire caused $300,000 of damage, reconstruction of Mt. Zion Lutheran Church in Mountlake Terrace began earlier this month with hopes of holding services in the repaired building beginning in early 2016.
“The reconstruction has begun,” proclaimed Mt. Zion Pastor Franklin Paine. “There finally are some uncontested details and payments from the insurance company and so parts of the rebuilding can take place.”
The church building suffered significant structural damage to its north multi-purpose wing in addition to smoke and water damage to its main sanctuary in a two-alarm fire that broke out overnight on May 7, 2014. The congregation has held their Sunday services in both donated space in town and in a small building on church property near the damaged church building since the fire.
Current work on the fire-damaged building consists of roof repairs and early preparations for structural repairs. “We are still awaiting full agreement for major parts of the work,” Paine said.
Investigators determined the fire was caused by a discarded cigarette left in a plastic container just outside the building. No one was inside when the fire started.
– By Doug Petrowski
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