Spokesman-Review photo
THE CAUSE OF THE 3-ALARM FIRE at a cold storage plant in Spokane, Washington, yesterday has been determined. (See prior Firegeezer report on the fire HERE.) The weight of a recent heavy snowfall had caused a building awning to collapse earlier in the week. Tuesday a repair crew was dissembling the wrecked metal awning and using a cutting torch at the assmebly joints on the roof. It has been presumed that the torch started something burning inside the roof that led to the entire center structure to catch fire.
Spokesman-Review
The good news is that the fire was contained to the center building where the fire started. The two connected buildings on either side where the anhydrous ammonia tanks for the refridgeration units were stored were spared from the flames, mitigating the potential area-wide toxic air hazard that would have resulted if they had been breached.
KREM-TV Ch. 2 has the updated video report:
The last part of the video illustrates the state-wide problem the FD’s are having with fire hydrants buried by the recent snowstorm. The Spokane Spokesman-Review TELLS ABOUT the hydrant situation at the cold storage plant fire yesterday:
Eyewitness Ethan Kuebler was among a group of citizens who helped by clearing snow from fire hydrants. “People started showing up with shovels and a gentleman showed up with a little Bobcat to help dig out the fire hydrants,” he said.
Recent Comments