Residents of the Jamestown Estates mobile-home park in Lakewood have quietly reached a confidential settlement with the owner of a nearby vacant lot tied to a wind-driven brush fire that tore through the 40-home community on August 4, 2023. The blaze destroyed nine homes, killed two residents and left dozens displaced. This week, the Pierce County case was dismissed after the plaintiffs and the landowner came to terms. For families who lost everything and neighbors who watched flames shoot across the scrub field toward their front doors, the deal is being treated as a long-awaited chance to start rebuilding and move forward.
Settlement, Names And What It Means For Families
The lawsuit was dismissed on April 14 after a settlement was reached earlier this year, according to The News Tribune. Attorney Ashton Dennis, who represented the plaintiffs, told the paper the loss "was preventable" and said the resolution "allows these families to begin closing this chapter." The August 4, 2023 fire swept through Jamestown Estates and killed Patrick Zmiarovich, 70, and Zackery McDonough, 31. Nine homes were destroyed and 23 people, including nine children, were displaced, per the report.
How The Blaze Raced Into The Park
Officials say the fire started as a brush blaze in an adjacent vacant field and, pushed by wind, moved fast into tightly spaced manufactured homes. That rapid spread left nine units as total losses and caused heavy damage to others, as reported by The Seattle Times, which carried Associated Press coverage of the initial response. Fire crews, mutual-aid departments and relief groups rushed in to evacuate residents and secure the scene while firefighters worked hot spots and tried to keep flames from jumping further into the neighborhood.
Why Residents Sued The Lot Owner
In April 2024, several Jamestown Estates residents filed suit against VGU Washington Estates LLC, alleging the landowner failed to secure the vacant parcel, clear overgrown vegetation or prevent unauthorized camping that, they argued, left the lot prone to a human-started fire, as reported by KIRO. Plaintiffs pointed to a small campfire response by West Pierce Fire & Rescue weeks before the catastrophe and said the property’s condition deteriorated over the summer of 2023.
Court Records, Code Citations And Unanswered Questions
Pierce County court records and reporting show the case was dismissed after the confidential settlement, and the landowner denied wrongdoing in its court response, according to The News Tribune. City code-enforcement files referenced by the paper show the property was cited in October 2023 for overgrown vegetation and a pest complaint, though the case was closed within weeks. Lakewood police told reporters they have not positively identified or charged anyone in connection with how the fire started, leaving lingering questions about prevention and local oversight hanging over the charred edge of Jamestown Estates.
