Plunge burns, but there's more good news than bad
If it hadn't been so scary, it would have been heartwarming. There they were, gathered around the fire at the Plunge on Wednesday night: the former mayor, a firefighter-union leader, and firefighters who remembered the Plunge from childhood.
It all went like this, according to the Contra Costa Times: At about 10 p.m, former mayor Rosemary Corbin drove by and saw smoke rising from the Plunge. Someone ran up two blocks to the firehouse banged on the door.
Firefighter-union leader Jim Russey, of previous fame or infamy depending on your views, responded and quickly called in a second alarm.
Rosemary, who's now VP of Save the Richmond Plunge Trust, stuck around to watch the firefighters from Richmond and El Cerrrito and their six fire engines put out the blaze. The firefighters told her how they loved the building, how they learned to swim there.
But there's good news here. Even though the fire caused up to $200,000 in damange, the new plan for renovation is to take out the burned part of the building anyway. In fact, the Trust had just approved money for architectural drawings, and if all goes well the whole thing should reopen in 2007.
Little firefighters-to-be may soon swim again.
Comments
Tonight, November 3rd, I walked my dog around the Plunge and saw lights inside and heard people talking. Its raining and cold, the campers are back (my place is next door). Any ideas to make sure another fire does not get started? There is no security and the boarded up windows have been breeched. There is also a dead cat on the lawn there and a large quantity of somebody's stolen luggage and contents.
Posted by: Todd Pratum | November 3, 2005 08:40 PM