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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

In brief: Fire at defunct spa under investigation

From Staff And Wire Reports

Spokane Fire Department officials say a fire at the former Starlite Spa on Saturday was human-caused, and the blaze remains under investigation.

No one was injured in the fire, which caused more than $20,000 in damage, Assistant Chief Brian Schaeffer said.

About 11:25 p.m., responding firefighters found flames and heavy smoke coming from the front door of the building at 2829 N. Market St., Schaeffer said. The building looked abandoned, and first responders found no one inside.

The defunct spa was one of several recently raided by police during an investigation into prostitution.

The fire was under control within 30 minutes and the building has been boarded up, Schaeffer said. 

Coal terminal hearing rescheduled

SEATTLE – Regulators reviewing a coal-export marine terminal near Bellingham have rescheduled a hearing originally set for Tuesday in Seattle because of large turnouts at previous meetings.

Officials say the meeting was changed because the original venue wouldn’t have been large enough to accommodate high public interest. The new meeting will be at the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle on Dec. 13.

Ecology, Whatcom County and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have started a lengthy environmental review of the Gateway Pacific Terminal project at Cherry Point. The proposed terminal would ship 54 million tons of dry bulk commodities, mostly coal.

The meetings will help determine what factors should be part of the environmental review.

Meetings are also set for Ferndale on Nov. 29, Spokane on Dec. 4, and Vancouver on Dec. 12.