Cause of fire at former east Spokane business under investigation

Michele Anderson, Public Safety Communications Manager


Wednesday, May 1, 2019 at 11:12 a.m.


At 3:53 a.m., the Spokane Fire Department was dispatched to 102 N. Helena St. (formerly Tormino’s Sash and Glass Co.) on a report of structure fire involving a commercial building.

First arriving crews found the structure to be heavily involved with fire. This same building suffered severe damage after a multiple-alarm fire on November 29, 2017. Given the extensive damage from the previous fire, crews adopted a defensive strategy to reduce the risk to firefighters and protect the surrounding structures. In all, 40 firefighters responded to the incident.

There were no reported injuries to firefighters and the fire was controlled within one hour.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Special Investigation Unit of the Spokane Fire Department.

Fire crews will remain on scene throughout the day to put out hot spots and ensure complete extinguishment.