The Pierce County Fire Prevention Bureau temporarily shut down 45 massage parlors, spas and wellness clinics across the county on Tuesday.
These enforcement actions were taken to address critical life safety hazards found within the businesses.
“We were getting a lot of concerned neighboring businesses that people were living in these businesses,” Pierce County Fire Marshal Ken Rice said.
The businesses were cited for a range of violations. These included operating without a valid Certificate of Occupancy, blocked or obstructed emergency exits and inadequate or non-functioning emergency lighting systems.
Improper use of cooking or heating equipment in non-approved areas, improper storage of fire pits and unpermitted work, such as illegal wiring, plumbing and mechanical alterations, were also cited.
Many were also using businesses as unauthorized dwelling units. Rice reported that one of the inspected locations had 6 people living above it. He expressed surprise that a fire had not yet occurred given the unsafe conditions.
“I’m surprised none of them had a fire yet. Really, really surprised because the conditions in there are perfect to have a fire,” Rice said. Rice emphasized the danger these conditions pose to adjacent establishments.
“So if you have a fire and if Kristine’s business is next to you, she’s obviously out of business now. Maybe 3 or 4. Depends if you’re in a strip mall,” Rice said.
Kaylee Hansen, who works at Good Vibes Espresso in Tacoma, shared her concerns about the potential impact of a nearby fire. She noted that her business stores a majority of its supplies in a room located doors down from one of the affected spas.
“We would obviously not be able to make our money or see our customers do what we want to do as good vibes,” Hansen said. She added, “That would hurt it exponentially only because that simply holds everything for our coffee stand in that room.”
Rice clarified the bureau’s primary objective in conducting these inspections. “Our entire focus was life safety and code enforcement,” Rice said. Hansen voiced a desire for widespread adherence to safety regulations.
“It would be really nice if everyone could follow that same procedure so we can all keep our businesses running smoothly,” Hansen said.
The county hopes that the closed businesses will come into compliance with fire codes. Rice confirmed that 3 of the shops have already made the necessary changes and have since reopened.
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