Suspicious fire hits COPS West

A suspicious fire Monday morning shut down the COPS West substation in Spokane’s West Central neighborhood.

But by the end of the day, a new location was donated as a temporary home for the city’s oldest police substation.

“It just demonstrates the spirit of the West Central community and the people who live there,” said Jack Brucick, chairman of the Spokane Community Oriented Policing board. “It didn’t surprise me we had a place, but it did shock me that it took only four hours.”

A neighborhood volunteer made it happen.

Andy Rathbun, vice president of the West Central Community Center board, heard about the fire and drove by COPS West to see what he could do.

Rathbun, a U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel who lives in the neighborhood, learned that the burned building wasn’t secure and that computers and other equipment would have to be moved.

He arranged for the community center to donate temporary space for COPS West. Moving began Monday afternoon. Moving back into the original location will depend on the extent of damages, Brucick said.

The temporary COPS West substation will be in a house at 2030 W. Spofford, just east of the community center. The house, purchased by the community center, is scheduled to be lifted off its foundation and moved in the spring to make room for a planned expansion of the community center.

Until then, COPS West can use the building, Rathbun said.

The timing couldn’t have been better, he said. The community center just got the house key back Monday morning from renters who recently moved.

Like many others in the community, Rathbun started volunteering after the 1991 kidnapping and murder of two neighborhood girls, 11-year-old Nicki Wood and 12-year-old Rebecca West.

“The community center is where we united in taking back our neighborhood,” Rathbun said. The COPS West substation, which opened in 1992, was a direct result of West Central neighbors’ outrage and action.

Monday’s fire, reported by neighbors about 5:30 a.m., appeared to start outside in trash and boxes on the southeast side of the building at 1901 W. Boone, said Spokane Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Inman.

A Spokane Police Department spokesman said the fire was caused by arson. But Inman said the fire could have been accidental and was still under investigation.

Most damage was to the roof, although firefighters pulled down ceiling and wall material to make sure the fire was out.

No one was inside the building when the fire started. Firefighter Darin Neiwert sustained minor injuries due to a fall, Inman said.

A computer lab that provided Internet access was one of many services available at the substation. In addition, about 100 parolees are assigned to two Washington Department of Corrections parole officers who work in the building.

“We’re all feeling quite a loss,” said parole officer Sandra Sheppard. “We’re a family.”

Sheppard said she and the other parole officer had not received any recent threats to the building.

“In this neighborhood, anybody could have been walking by and saw the boxes and started the fire,” she said. “It may have been more of a crime of opportunity, but it could have been anything.”

Aliesha Koehn, who lives across the street from the substation, reported the fire after being alerted by a stranger, said her husband, Jimmy Koehn. She had just arrived home after working overnight as a weekend supervisor at a women’s shelter.

“Some guy knocked on the door,” Jimmy Koehn said, pointing out how the passer-by had broken a white Christmas wreath on the front door with his knock. “He said, ‘The COPS shop’s on fire. You’d better call the cops.’ “

Police are asking anyone with information to call Crime Check at 456-2233.