Fire, explosion damage pegged at $3 million

A fire and explosion Monday that blew glass out of the windows and charred parts of a Spokane Valley office building caused an estimated $3 million in damage.

Assistant Fire Marshal Bill Clifford on Tuesday said investigators are examining a nitrous oxide tank that apparently blew up at the start of the fire around 7 a.m.

The gas was used as anesthetic in the oral surgery office of Drs. Kenji Higuchi and Daniel Skinner on the first floor of the building at 12509 E. Mission Ave.

The fire was traced to a room containing the nitrous oxide as well as a smaller oxygen container. The oxygen apparently vented during the fire, Clifford said.

It was unknown exactly what sparked the fire or whether the tank blew after the fire started, he said.

Spokane Valley firefighters were joined by crews from the city of Spokane and Spokane County fire districts 8 and 9. One employee of the business escaped without injury. Firefighters also avoided injury.

The insurance company for the building’s owner is bringing a fire investigation expert to help determine the fire’s cause. Tenant insurance companies may also offer technical assistance, Clifford said.

Clifford, of the Spokane Valley Fire Department, said the building has been sealed, although tenants were allowed to retrieve computers and other needed materials.

While the fire damage was mainly confined to the oral surgery business, smoke damage was reported throughout the two-story building.

A structural engineer reported that the building could be restored, but that there were stress cracks spotted in concrete that would need to be repaired, Clifford said.

Electrical power was cut off pending repairs. Some portions of the building could reopen while work occurs in the more damaged section, Clifford said.

“Some businesses may be able to open fairly soon,” he said.