The Lumber Yard bar suffered extensive damage from a fire that began early Monday morning. No injuries were reported, though the fire spread through other businesses, including Rat City Tattoo, Nuggi, La Típica Oaxaqueña, and the Boxing Gym Westside.

Eric Autry, a public information officer for the Seattle Fire Department, was present from the beginning of the response until 6 a.m. on Monday. He confirmed that firefighters responded from SFD, King County Fire District #2, Tukwila Fire Department, Skyway Fire Department, and Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority. A fire investigator is assigned to every case, and to Autry's knowledge, the investigator arrived after he left.

The Lumber Yard Bar was the first LGBTQ bar in White Center and has been a beloved gathering place since its inception. One loyal customer, Philip McKinnis, described it as "our happy place." Said McKinnis, "I am devastated by these events... We had just started to enjoy the crowds coming back and making new friends."

The bar's house drag queen, Dolly Madison, known outside of drag as Derik Kleinhesselink, spoke out about the impact of the fire and the value of the bar to the community. As the house queen, Madison said, she created themed shows and entertainment while facilitating a space where community members could gather and get to know each other.

Madison and her DJ husband Al were friends with owners Nathan Adams and Michale Farrar years before the bar opened and were involved with its initial planning. Together they created a "diverse and fully inclusive, community-focused bar."

Just prior to the fire, she says, the bar had closed due to a power outage on the block, and later, someone reported smoke coming from the Lumber Yard. Said Madison, "Seeing the photos of the devastation was like having to identify the corpse of a loved one."

Madison and her husband have lost a source of income, new staff are unemployed, and the building is severely damaged.

For the community, she said, "the Lumber Yard was a haven. So much love has been poured into this gathering place." As White Center's first LGBTQ bar, it benefited the whole community with a safe environment.

Madison is heartbroken but reflects that she and her husband will find a way to continue performing during this time. She said, "If there's a group that continues to survive and thrive, it's the LGBTQ community. If Michale and Nathan choose to restore, it will not be a rebuild — it will be something so amazing and full of even more love and inclusion that people wont be able to resist it."

To support the Lumber Yard Bar, White Center Pride has started a GoFundMe page for its recovery. As of July 7, the page surpassed its goal of raising $100,000, but another page was established at gofund.me/630595e2