Spokane fire crews extinguish fire above High Nooner downtown

Spokane fire crews extinguished a kitchen fire in an apartment building downtown Monday morning after an employee at a restaurant downstairs smelled smoke, according to a release from the Spokane Fire Department.

Fire crews were dispatched at about 11:30 a.m. to 237 W. Riverside Ave. Firefighters quickly extinguished a kitchen fire in one of the apartments above the High Nooner sandwich shop, Deputy Fire Chief Rex Strickland said.

There were no reported injuries but the fire resulted in smoke damage to the apartments on the second and third floors, and water damage to the restaurant, the fire department said.

However, Strickland said the damage was relatively minimal and no building occupants were displaced.

“The SFD would like to commend the quick actions of the restaurant employee who reported the fire, as well as the timely and efficient response of the fire crews,” the fire department said in its release. “These actions prevented the fire from escalating, causing more severe damage or potential injuries.”

The Higher Nooner will remain open because no significant damage to the building and no food contamination occurred, according to Abby Penn, bookkeeper at the restaurant.

The cause of the fire is under investigation