Fire guts strip mall, damages rehab store

A fire gutted a strip mall Wednesday night in Coeur d’Alene, causing part of the roof to collapse and ruining several stores with smoke damage.

The Coeur d’Alene Fire Department’s entire fleet, plus three ambulances and five vehicles from other departments, responded to the three-alarm fire at about 10:45 p.m., and crews remained on scene until about 2:30 a.m., said fire inspector Craig Etherton. Flames had climbed up to 30 feet.

The row of stores at North Fourth Street and East Hazel Avenue includes Tangles Hair Salon, Golden City Loan and Pawn, and the Good Samaritan Rehabilitation Thrift Store.

Etherton said about a quarter of the roof collapsed and there is smoke damage throughout the building, but it’s not known if the structure will need to be demolished. Doors and windows have been boarded up.

Inspectors returned to the building Thursday morning and haven’t determined a cause, but they were focusing on one the building’s four units, Etherton said.

No injuries were reported/ Chad Sokol /SR.