Firefighters based at a North Seattle fire station are now working out of nearby stations after a test commissioned by the firefighter's union found a toxic byproduct of mold.
Fire Station 31 on Northgate Way has been the focus of concerns about cancer among firefighters for years.
Over the weekend, the Seattle Fire Department said the firefighters' union shared test results showing the presence of mycotoxin, a byproduct of mold, that came from dust samples taken in the station's bunk room.
"We decided it was best to move the firefighters out of Station 31 until we understood what was actually taking place," Fire Chief Harold Scoggins told reporters.
Over 24 hours, four fire companies were scattered to nearby stations, something Scoggins acknowledges could delay response times by up to a minute.
"That's something we're paying attention to, that's something that the firefighters are paying attention to," he said.
The city also hired experts to test Fire Station 31.
Preliminary results provided to reporters by the fire department are reassuring.
They show the air samples are normal regarding mold, with higher spore counts outside than inside.
City contractors also collected mold from the bunk room wall but found it is not associated with mycotoxins, and it can be cleaned up with soap and water.
More tests were conducted Thursday and are expected Friday.
It's not clear when the fire station will reopen.
There's an extra sensitivity about Station 31 because firefighters have long raised questions about the number of people who have worked here and developed cancer.
In 2004, a study about cancer rates for firefighters who worked at Station 31 found of the 1,622 people who worked there between 1975 and 2003, 119 suffered from some type of cancer, the most common being prostate cancer or melanoma, but the study found no link between the cancer cases and the building.
The study found lead in dirt in the basement, which is why the floor is now covered in concrete and walls are cut open to improve ventilation.
As KIRO 7 reported last year, Fred Hutch is doing an extensive new study about cancer rates in the fire department.
It's expected to be done early in 2020.
Watch the full report from KIRO 7's Graham Johnson in the video player above and watch our previous coverage of Station 31 health concerns below.
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