1 man dead, 9 displaced after fire at adult-family home in Pierce County
One man is dead after a fire engulfed parts of an adult-family home in the Midland area of Pierce County on Friday morning.
Fire crews were dispatched to the house where 10 people had been inside in the 2100 block of 90th Street East, according to Central Pierce Fire & Rescue on X at 8:20 a.m.
According to a department spokesperson, six people were residents, three were staff and another was a family member. They all lived in the home.
A neighbor saw smoke coming out of the home and called 911 before going to the house to help people who were escaping. One of the residents, a 76-year-old man, did not make it out and died, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office deputy Carly Cappetto told The News Tribune.
The house is heavily damaged. The public is asked to avoid the area as firefighters continue to extinguish the flames.
The Pierce County Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.
The property, known as Little House II, received its adult-family-home license in March 2024, according to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, which regulates residential-care services.
In late February, the property was found not to meet licensing requirements after a worker failed to timely obtain a home-care aide certification and a resident didn’t have documentation about the known risks of a medical device they were using, according to DSHS inspection records. The violations were fixed, and the adult family home was back in compliance by March, the records show.
Adult-family homes, which are licensed to care for up to six non-related residents, offer assistance to people who need help with daily living and other activities.
This story was originally published July 18, 2025 at 10:06 AM.
