Tour Commander, 509.625.7100
Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 8:02 a.m.
Tuesday, April 13, at approximately 1:05 pm, the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) and automatic aid agency Spokane Fire District 9 responded to the 2900 Block of East Olympic Avenue on a possible structure fire. Initial reports from Spokane Fire Communications indicated that smoke and flames were coming from a church. Fire companies arrived six minutes after dispatch and reported heavy brown smoke and flames visible from a large, two-story church. The fire was immediately upgraded to ensure additional resources responded to deal with the expanding incident.
Quint 13 and Engine 2 quickly made entry into the structure to begin a coordinated fire attack and search the structure to ensure all occupants were safely out. Simultaneously, crews were sent to the roof to ventilate the structure to improve conditions and remove heat from within, and teams were sent to the rear of the structure to protect exposures. After further investigation, it was discovered the fire had started under the exterior stairs, where a provisional camp had been established. The initial fire attack companies extinguished the fire quickly, confining the fire to the stairs and temporary shelter, preventing extension to the church's interior. 11 fire apparatus along with 36 firefighters responded to fight the fire. The fire was contained and extinguished within ten minutes of units arriving on the scene. No injuries to civilians or firefighters were reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Spokane Fire Special Investigation Unit.
