Utility Vault Fire Downtown Business District

Tour Commander, 509.625.7100


Friday, June 5, 2020 at 12:36 p.m.


At 5:30 am companies from the Spokane Fire Department were dispatched to a commercial fire alarm activation at 510 W. Riverside Ave. An employee of the Parkade called 911 to report that they could hear an audible alarm sounding inside the Sherwood building.

Fire crews arrived on the scene to investigate the alarm and noted smoke coming from a below-ground vault which contains electrical utilities that service the area. Firefighters began a systematic inspection of businesses located in the 500 block of West Riverside avenue and noted multiple alarms were beginning to sound as the power had been lost the buildings in the vicinity. Police and Fire have cordoned off the block and are on scene awaiting the arrival of Avista work crews.

As you make your morning commute, please be aware that the loss of power may cause some traffic lights at downtown intersections to malfunction and exercise additional caution while passing through intersections in the affected area.