Fire damages historic ‘blue house’ at Dottie Harper Park in Burien

A fire early Saturday morning, Oct. 25, 2025 heavily damaged the historic “blue house” located at Dottie Harper Park in Burien.

Multiple fire crews were dispatched to the park at 421 SW 146th Street at 1:06 a.m. Oct. 25, where they found flames consuming part of the unoccupied two-story structure.

Seventeen units responded, including ladder, engine, and battalion crews from King County Fire District 2 and others.

A photo courtesy Alyson Lapan shows extensive charring of the home, with visible damage to both lower and upper floors.

No injuries were immediately reported.

Officials have not yet released information on the cause of the fire.

History of Dottie Harper Park and the “Blue House“

Dottie Harper Park is a 3.5-acre wooded park named in honor of community activist and arts advocate Dottie Harper. Harper, who moved with her husband Paul to Lake Burien in 1949, spent decades working to preserve natural spaces, support local arts, and expand parks in the Highline area. She served on numerous boards, including the Washington State Arts Commission and King County Arts Commission, and helped found Highline Community College and the community’s first arts gallery.

The land that became Dottie Harper Park was originally homesteaded by Homer Crosby. In 1994, King County transferred ownership of the site to the newly incorporated City of Burien, and the following year the city council formally named it in Harper’s honor.

At the center of the park sits the distinctive (and now sadly, burned) “blue house,” a cute, two-story wood-frame building nestled amidst tall trees that for years served as the Burien Art Gallery and later as a meeting space for small non-profit groups. Managed by Burien’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services department, the house became a hub for local cultural programming and community activities.

The Burien Arts Association (formerly the Burien Arts Gallery) states the house is the “former home of Harold and Bonnie Kampinski,” was built in the 1940s, and that the gallery moved there in 1974. 

The blue house stood as both a functional arts space and a symbol of Burien’s grassroots efforts to preserve culture and community. Its damage in this fire marks a significant moment in the park’s history, possibly erasing a physical piece of Burien’s arts and civic heritage.