Fire scorches roof of Washington Cracker Co. building, prompting big response

Several blocks of West Pacific Avenue were lined with emergency vehicles Thursday afternoon as firefighters responded to a blaze on the roof of the Washington Cracker Co. building, which is undergoing extensive renovations.

Brian Schaeffer, assistant chief of the Spokane Fire Department, said crews arrived on scene shortly before 2 p.m. to find a pillar of black smoke.

“You could see it from all over town,” he said. “It was big.”

Workers renovating the building were on the roof when the trucks arrived, so firefighters quickly propped ladders against fire escapes on the north and south faces of the building. An interior stairwell was clear, however, so they all safely evacuated that way.

The workers used up more than 10 portable fire extinguishers in an attempt to put out the fire but were unable to stop it. The fire burned a patch of the roof about 15 feet long and 10 feet wide, Schaeffer said.

A large amount of stainless steel parts was on the roof awaiting installation, and the steel reflected sunlight onto nearby combustibles, causing them to ignite, Schaeffer added.

Once the “Home of Snowflake Saltines,” the 125-year-old building now houses a winery, a yoga studio, a real estate office and Terrain, a nonprofit that promotes local art, among other tenants.

Schaeffer said the age of the building was a concern for firefighters. Flammable insulation and untold layers of brick make it hard to tell if floors might collapse, he said.

“People always say, ‘Why did you bring so many trucks here?’ and I say, ‘Well, because it could be really bad.’ You never know.”

Staff writer Nina Culver contributed to this report.