Fire damages commercial building on Monroe

A two-alarm fire heavily damaged a small commercial building at 1603 N. Monroe Street early Saturday morning.

The fire was called in just after 4 a.m. by a police officer driving by, said Spokane Fire Department Assistant Chief Brian Schaeffer. Dozens of firefighters responded to help battle the flames that reached high into the sky.

The cause of the fire was traced to faulty knob and tube wiring, said Schaeffer. County property records indicate the structure was built in 1902.

“It was in a concealed space,” he said.

Monroe Street was shut down for several hours while firefighters worked.