Fire takes out Mead warehouse, damages antique cars

A fire ripped through a warehouse on a residential property in Mead early Wednesday, damaging about 20 antique cars.

About 40 firefighters were called shortly before 5 a.m. to the property at 6917 N. Thierman Road, just south of East Bigelow Gulch Road. They put out the blaze quickly, but support structures were heavily damaged and the warehouse was in danger of collapsing, said Brian Schaeffer, assistant chief of the Spokane Fire Department, which assisted Spokane County Fire District 9. Schaeffer said one firefighter sustained minor injuries but was not taken to a hospital.

District 9 investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire. Crews spent several hours after the fire removing cars from the warehouse.

County records say the property owner is William L. Johnson. A man at the scene declined to comment Wednesday morning.