COLVILLE, Wash. - Firefighters and police have reopened the road in downtown Colville that was blocked due to efforts in fighting the devastating blaze at Saundra's Furniture and Design.
Investigators are spending Sunday looking into what may have caused the fire.
KHQ has a crew heading to Colville this morning and we will update you as soon as we get any additional information.
Previous Coverage:
COLVILLE, Wash - A fire broke out Saturday night completely destroying Saundra's Furniture and Design in downtown Colville. Fire investigators say at this point they have not determined the cause. KHQ spoke exclusively Saturday night with the store owner, Saundra Wilma. She said she initially thought the cause was electrical in nature, but she was also told that arson is a possibility.
Wilma tells KHQ that at 8:14 on Saturday she was told a small, white car stopped in front of the store and threw an object through the front window, then drove off. Regardless of the cause, the building was fully engulfed within minutes, with flames reaching as high as 35 feet in the air.
Colville Fire Department, along with assistance from the Arden and Kettle Falls fire departments, worked quickly to extinguish the fire within a few hours. Crews remained there overnight to make sure there were no flare-ups. Colville Fire Chief Joe Hirsch tells us that there were 2 other fires of note nearby in the recent months, one at Tiger Trucking and one at Davis Auto Rebuild.
Local law enforcement is investigating the fire at Davis Auto Rebuild as a possible arson. Meanwhile, the fire at Tiger Trucking is under investigation by insurance companies as an arson, but not by law enforcement.
At this point, no other businesses are affected by the fire. However, this does affect the lives of 12 employees who worked at Saundra's Furniture and Design. Wilma says she has insurance and plans on rebuilding on the same corner, if possible. This building has stood in Colville for the last 57 years.
It used to be Egger's Furniture. Saundra took over 20 years ago and recently passed the store off to her daughter.
PHOTO From KHQ Viewer Blake Vining
