Downtown condo fire quickly extinguished

Wed., May 23, 2007

From Staff Reports The Spokesman-Review

A downtown condo project under construction survived a brief fire that burned a large patch of roofing materials on top of the building.

The fire at 161 S. Adams St. was likely sparked by electrical cords on the roof of the Cornerstone Courtyard building, which created a 25- by 30-foot blaze, said Assistant Chief Brian Schaeffer of the Spokane Fire Department. Flames shot into the sky, and smoke settled throughout the neighborhood.

Fire Station 4 was mere blocks from the blaze and was fully staffed, Schaeffer said, and units from Station 1– at the other end of downtown – were able to arrive quickly, also.

Both stations brought ladder trucks that allowed firefighters to reach the roof quickly, Schaeffer said, preventing the flames from getting inside the structure and causing more damage.

The building under construction is set to become a working-class condominium.

About 10 construction workers were inside when the fire started. Some were cleaning old roofing materials away when they noticed the flames, Schaeffer said. Nobody was injured.

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