Cause of storage fire up in air

PULLMAN — Investigators were unable to determine what caused the fire that destroyed a storage building and its contents earlier this year on the outskirts of Pullman.

Darren Jones, fire marshal for the city of Pullman Fire Department, finished his investigation into the Feb. 8 blaze. While he was unable to pinpoint what started the fire, he said it was most likely an accident.

The blaze at Express Storage located on the Moscow-Pullman Highway was a costly one. Jones said there was at least $2 million in damages. The fire consumed several units containing motorhomes, vehicles, ATVs, boats, household items, appliances and personal effects.

Around a dozen insurance investigators attempted to determine what caused the fire. Jones said this was a contributing factor to the lengthy investigation, along with the sheer size of the building.

The facility was massive, he said, all 10 units scaled 14 feet high to accommodate for big-ticket items. This meant authorities had more ground to cover compared to other incidents.

Unlike a traditional storage facility, Jones added patrons could rent or own a unit, which complicated the investigation further. He said there were more parties to work with in the investigation.

The undetermined cause won’t affect insurance claims, Jones said. He added insurance companies like to know what starts fires because it helps with their statistics and costs to insure items.

“The only thing that would nullify a claim is if insurance fraud has been committed,” Jones said. “In this case, it shouldn’t make a difference. It won’t affect anyone getting paid for their losses.”

Jones extended thanks to many firefighters who helped extinguish the blaze. Volunteers at Whitman County Fire Districts 12 in Pullman, 4 in Palouse, 14 in Colton and Uniontown, as well as the Moscow Fire Department and Moscow Rural Fire District rushed to help.

“It’s an example of our community partners helping each other,” Jones said. “We appreciate everyone who volunteered and came out to help the community.”

Putting out the fire was no easy feat, he added. Each storage unit was individually coded with different locks. Firefighters had to saw open doors and walls to enter the building.

Jones said the storage facility is made out of metal, which insulated the fire. It took days to locate and fully extinguish hot spots inside the building.

No one was hurt during the fire, he added, and no one suffered from smoke inhalation.

“They did an exemplary job responding to this fire,” Jones said. “Well done.”

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.