Everett, Wash. Published: Thursday, February 21, 2008
Local Briefly: Fire damage set at $500,000 at Lynnwood shop
LYNNWOOD -- An early morning industrial fire Wednesday caused about $500,000 damage at the headquarters of HMC Industries, a family-owned Lynnwood business, officials said.
The fire started around 4:30 a.m. in the north corner of the company's building in the 21000 block of 63rd Avenue W., said Marybeth O'Leary, a Lynnwood Fire spokeswoman.
By 6:30 a.m., the fire was all but out. No one was injured, she said.
The fire was contained to the office and storage areas because the building was partitioned by fire walls, O'Leary said. HMC Industries manufacturers retail display cases, among other fixtures, at the Lynnwood site, according to the company's Web site.
Lynnwood Fire Department was helped by crews from Snohomish County Fire District 1 and the Edmonds Fire Department.
Investigators were working to determine what sparked the blaze, she said.
Martha Lake: Deck fire quickly quelled
An alert Snohomish County sheriff's deputy and passerby used a garden hose to battle a deck fire Wednesday afternoon before firefighters arrived.
The pair spotted the fire just after 3 p.m. in the 1000 block of 167th Street SW, Snohomish County Fire District 1 spokeswoman Leslie Hynes said.
The homeowners, a couple, were home and got out of the house uninjured, Hynes said.
Fire investigators ruled the blaze accidental. It was started by a grill and caused about $10,000 damage to the deck and the home's siding, Hynes said. The homeowners have insurance and will be able to remain in the home during repairs.
Camano Island: Tax scheme equals prison
The federal government doesn't like people purchasing things such as a log house and recreational vehicles for personal use and then declaring those items on corporate income tax returns.
That's what federal prosecutors accused two men, one from Camano Island, of doing between 1998 and 2003.
Paul Werlink, 61, of Camano Island was sentenced Wednesday to 20 days in prison plus a year of supervised release, 100 hours of community service and a $5,000 fine.
He is a former half-owner and corporate secretary for The Safety Team Inc., a Seattle-based company that specialized in installing and selling fire prevention equipment.
His partner, Paul Austin, 58, of Ellensburg got a 30-day prison sentence, in addition to the same community service hours and fine as Werlink, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle.
The two men pleaded guilty in October to making false income tax returns. Prosecutors alleged that they wrote off personal travel and various purchases as company expenses. Austin has already paid $320,000 in back taxes, civil penalties and interest. Werlink has paid back $90,000 in back taxes, the government said.
