Justin de Ruyter, Spokane Fire PIO, jderuyter@spokanecity.org
Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at 11:50 a.m.
On May 25, 2024, just after midnight, the Spokane Fire Department received a report of a commercial structure fire at 2503 E Riverside Ave. in the East Central neighborhood of Spokane, WA. Engine 7, which was stationed six blocks away, spotted a large column of smoke in the area and upgraded the incident to a working fire. Upon arrival, they found heavy fire conditions in a large steel-sided pole barn-type warehouse. Firefighters deployed hose lines for fire attack, and additional crews arrived to assist. They forced entry into the warehouse and began fire attacks. Firefighters conducted a rapid, thorough search of the unaffected area of the warehouse to ensure no one was trapped, before being forced to withdraw and switch to defensive operations due to the fire's intensity.
Aerial ladder pipes and ground monitors were used to contain the fire to the warehouse, while additional personnel prevented the fire from spreading into the office areas of the business. Portions of the warehouse collapsed due to the fire, requiring crews to remain on the scene well into the day to completely extinguish pockets of fire in the debris. Fortunately, there were no injuries to firefighters or civilians as a result of the incident.
The Spokane Fire Department would like to remind citizens of the dangers of leaving rags soaked in oil, paint thinners, and lacquer thinners piled up or not stored in an appropriate metal can with a lid.?
