Fire aftermath: “Suspicious” or “deliberately set”?

The Whitley Fuel fire continues to be a major story, especially when considered along with a rash of unsolved arson in Spokane in recent years - and both topics were covered in today’s editions and online.

The labeling of the fire’s cause has become its own story, with the fire department first saying it was “suspicious,” then sending out a press release (which it said was a mistake) labeling it as “deliberately set,” then retracting it.

Talk at the table centered on the reporters’ sources of information and the sequence of events regarding the fire department’s comments. The chain of command is complicated at a fire scene involving an inter-agency investigation at both the state and federal levels and maybe it was too much information for investigators to release at that time.

It was discussed whether the mention of the errant press release should have been moved up in the story. Regardless, today, “This is begging for clarity. It’s our job to provide it,” said Managing Editor Gary Graham.

Stay tuned for more online and in Friday’s paper.