Snow forces closures at area businesses
Several suffer collapsed roofs
The Wal-Mart near Airway Heights closed Wednesday because of heavy snow on its roof. The company brought a structural engineer from Oregon to examine the store, said Nick Scharff, chief of Spokane County Fire District 10 on the West Plains.
The store, 1221 S. Hayford Road, will remain closed until the roof is cleared, he said.
“It’s going to be until they deem it safe,” he said. “I would expect a day or two on it.”
Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services also closed its North Spokane Community Services office at 1925 E. Francis Ave. on Wednesday over concerns about the “structural integrity” of the roof.
According to a DSHS news release, employees noticed that interior doors weren’t closing properly and that a support beam was sagging. North Spokane clients can apply for food stamps and other benefits at the Southwest Community Services Office, 1313 N. Maple St. For more information, call (509) 227-2200.
The roof of a fabric store in North Spokane collapsed Wednesday morning.
Fire District 9 responded to Hancock Fabrics, 1020 W. Francis Ave., about 10 a.m. Details were not immediately available.
Also Wednesday, Spokane Fire Department officials determined that a gas leak that prompted the evacuation of a downtown Spokane day care center was caused when workers removing snow from the roof accidentally ruptured a gas line.
Fire crews evacuated 125 children and 46 adults from St. Anne’s Child and Family Center, 25 W. Fifth Ave., after the leak was discovered. Utility workers repaired the leak in about 20 minutes, and no one was injured, according to a news release.
On Monday, the roof of Kootenai County’s only ice arena collapsed from the weight of snow.
Officials say no one was injured when the roof collapsed at the Kootenai Youth Recreation Organization’s arena on West Seltice Way because the building had been evacuated the day before after cracks were spotted in beams supporting the roof.
Manager Matthew Beam said the facility is likely closed for the season. The rink is home to several hockey teams and a figure skating club.