Washington State Fire Training Academy

[4][5] In December 1979, the King County government denied a conditional-use construction permit for the project after a series of public hearings that attracted hundreds of protesting Enumclaw residents.

[8][9] In June 1980, the Washington State Commission for Vocational Education announced its choice of a gravel pit on 100 acres (40 ha) approximately 8 miles (13 km) east of North Bend as its preferred location for the academy.

[12] The King County Council approved construction of the fire training academy in North Bend in January 1982 and work began in April 1983.

[15] The fire training center was opened with a dedication ceremony on August 11, 1984, with Governor Spellman and other state officials in attendance to watch demonstrations of the simulator facilities.

[18][19] The remainder of the state-owned land on the North Bend site was proposed for a state prison that would house inmates trained for wildfire response, in the late 1980s.

[24][25] On February 5, 2020, the fire training center was designated by the state government as a quarantine site for asymptomatic travelers from Hubei Province, China, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

[26][27] The Washington State Public Health Laboratory in Shoreline was also chosen as a quarantine site for most travelers while the fire training center will house those needing accessible accommodation.