‘A knot in my stomach’: Downtown Snoqualmie fire damages, destroys several businesses

VIDEOS/PHOTOS: A building complex on Railroad Avenue Southeast, a busy main road in downtown Snoqualmie, caught fire Sunday morning at about 5:15 a.m. The building is home to Snoqualmie Ice Cream, Chickadee Bakeshop, Snoqualmie Pie Company and Littlest Wishes Photography, leaders of the City of Snoqualmie said. All four businesses were impacted, but most of the damage was left on the backside of the building along Falls Avenue Southeast. No one was inside the building at the time of the fire, city officials added. Snoqualmie police officer Corey Hendricks first smelled the smoke Sunday morning at about 5:07 a.m., the city shared. He quickly searched for the fire, which possibly saved the lives of nearby families and businesses, a couple of business owners said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
KIRO-TV CBS 7 Seattle

Apartment fire in Ellensburg under investigation

An apartment at the Campus Village Apartments on the 900 block of E 18th Ave caught fire in the early hours of Sunday morning. According to Kittitas Valley Fire & Rescue, at 1:50 a.m., firefighters headed to the scene of a second-floor apartment fire after several callers reported flames coming from the balcony. Ellensburg Police and Kittitas County Sheriff's began assisting people out of their homes; several residents reportedly knocked on neighbors' doors to wake them up and warn them to evacuate. Firefighters confirmed that all occupants were able to get out. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the apartment units in the northwest corner of the building; however, the fire damaged several cars parked behind the units. No serious injuries were reported, with only one person seeking medical attention for minor injuries.
KNDO-TV NBC 23 Yakima

2 injured, 18 residents displaced by Tacoma apartment fire

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Eighteen people were displaced after a fire tore through a multi-family apartment complex in Tacoma Wednesday evening. According to the Tacoma Fire Department (TPD), crews responded to a report of a fire around 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Westwood Square Apartment complex on the 8800 block of Pacific Avenue. The department said two units were heavily damaged by the fire. Six other units were also damaged. Officials said two occupants were taken to the hospital in stable condition “for further medical evaluation.” The American Red Cross Northwest Region also responded to the scene to help with relocating the 18 residents who were displaced by the fire. The TPD said the fire appears to have started between two units in the balcony area of the complex. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
KOMO-TV ABC 4 Seattle

Spokane Fire Department teaches kids life-saving techniques in emergency situations

VIDEO: You may know what to do in case of an emergency, but does your child know what to do? Safety measures like knowing how to escape in case of a fire can mean life or death. It's why the Spokane Fire Department was at Finch Elementary earlier on Wednesday, teaching kids what to do in case of an emergency, doing it inside of their brand-new fire safety house. The firehouse's upgrade means Spokane kids can be better informed on ways to keep themselves and families safe in an emergency, from learning how to put out a kitchen fire to escaping a house fire through a front window, to learning how to stop, drop and roll. These Finch Elementary students were learning what exactly they should do in an emergency.
KXLY-TV ABC 4 Spokane

Benton County Fire Protection District 2 celebrates 75th birthday

Benton County Fire Protection District 2 is celebrating its 75th birthday with an open house event on April 27. BCFD2's birthday event will be at Station 210 located at 130 Dale Ave. in Benton City from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Families are invited to spend time with BCFD2, eat hot dogs and cupcakes and check out fire apparatus. A drug take back event with the Benton City Coalition for Health will also be featured at the station during the open house.
NBC Right Now