‘Avoid the charcoal’: Fire damage at Lowman Beach Park

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(WSB photos)

“Somebody set fire to the forts,” a little girl informed us as we photographed the blackened driftwood on the shore at Lowman Beach Park. We went there after multiple tips about fires there this morning; those aren’t allowed anywhere at this park.

The SFD log shows two calls, one at about 4:50 am, one at about 7:50 am, both categorized as “brush fire” although we didn’t see any sign of burned vegetation (SFD’s automated log has a limited number of classifications). We did see extensive driftwood damage; impossible to tell if any was from prior dates. The little girl’s mom warned her to “avoid the charcoal – the burned part.” Lowman Beach’s north side was restored to a more natural state in a project completed two years ago.

Seattlite June 23, 2024 (2:06 pm)

Good grief…The vandals also continually put their crappy vandal grafitti on the nw wall at Lowman Park Beach. I go to Lowman Beach regularly and I did not see any burnt driftwood last Friday. It has always bothered me that vandals enjoy destroying private and pubic property without a thought of creating distress and dangerous situations for others.

mermaid.09.gallons@icloud.com June 23, 2024 (8:42 pm)

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Well, it’s only going to degrade along with the social contract’s devolution.

WSMom June 23, 2024 (2:45 pm)

We visited Lowman Beach on June 12, and the remnants from what appeared to have been a large fire were there then.

Justin June 23, 2024 (3:07 pm)

Such a bummer. I’ve always been curious what the natural lifespan is of those washed up logs and how often they get replaced.

penpal June 23, 2024 (6:11 pm)

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the city put a bunch of them on Lincoln parks beach a few years ago….most are not natural.

Rhonda June 23, 2024 (5:10 pm)

Building forts from heavy driftwood logs is dangerous for small children who may venture inside unattended. They can and do collapse without warning. Parks should dismantle them when they find them. I’ve torn down more than one at Lowman over the years.

Lowman June 23, 2024 (7:34 pm)

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Gosh, you must be fun at parties. I’ve lived right next to Lowman beach for most of my life and I’ve never heard of one of the forts collapsing.
- mermaid.09.gallons@icloud.com June 23, 2024 (8:44 pm)
  
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  Really is a strange concern, isn’t it? Is this a “concern troll?”
- Rhonda June 23, 2024 (9:20 pm)
  
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  Several of us dug out two drunk teenagers under a collapsed fort on Double Bluff Beach on Whidbey Island in 2018. My husband is a beast and had trouble lifting some of the wet, saturated logs. He was the only male not buried under wood. It was scary. They were big boys (high school football players) but if it had been smaller kids it could’ve been tragic.
  - shufflerunner June 24, 2024 (12:56 pm)
    
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    I don’t usually let my kids wonder the beach drunk but I’ll keep this in mind the next time I do.
- Actually Mike June 24, 2024 (12:37 pm)
  
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  Sheez, what’s with all the snarkbots? Rhonda’s just telling the truth–those log forts are dangerous when kids get in / under ’em. You’d probably be fun at parties too, but we don’t invite *people like you*.
Neighbor June 23, 2024 (9:38 pm)

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Well that’s why you don’t leave your kids unattended at the park. There’s no guarantee that naturally stacked driftwood is safe for children either.
Brandon June 24, 2024 (4:13 am)

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How did you tear them down if your “beast” of a husband could barely lift the logs?
- Rhonda June 24, 2024 (12:16 pm)
  
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  Several of us little old ladies, a strapping 22 year-old bikini competitor, and two trapped burly teen boys were all heaving and ho’ing, too. I hope you don’t think we all stood around and watched with our hands over our mouths.

Danger June 23, 2024 (10:48 pm)

Beach logs kill! (seriously, the signs say it).

anonyme June 24, 2024 (5:56 am)

I agree with Rhonda. In the last year, the same thing has been happening at Lincoln – people building multiple massive structures out of driftwood. Just leave it in its natural state, for god’s sake. Why do humans have to either build, steal – or burn – almost everything? Haven’t we done enough damage?