Fire damages Edison Center in Pullman

PULLMAN— Pullman firefighters fought through thick black smoke Monday, Sept. 26, at the Edison Center, located at 588 Southeast Boulevard, reports say.

Firefighters managed to keep the fire and damage confined to that portion of the building that was undergoing repairs. A dollar estimate of the damage is pending a review by the building’s insurance company.

Pullman Fire Marshal, Darren Jones, and Assistant Fire Marshal, Tony Nuttman pinpointed the cause of the accidental fire as spontaneous combustion. According to Jones the owner of Red Card Pub and Grub, the business adjacent to the center had leased the section taking possession of two spaces that had been occupied by the Real Life Ministry.

The business owner told fire officials he was trying to remove the old carpet with a scraper, using acetone to help remove the glue securing the carpet to the floor. Reports say that according to Jones the mixture of the glue, acetone, and piles of old carpet that had been sitting through the weekend, triggered the pile to smolder. A breeze blowing from opening the door ignited the pile, reports say.

According to Assistant Chief Ryan Scharnhorst, the first crews that arrived, being called at 9:50 a.m., firefighters needed their thermal cameras to help locate the fire because the smoke was so heavy. The fire was under control in about 20 minutes due to the efforts of Pullman and Whitman County District 12 firefighters.

According to reports, no injuries were reported. Circles of Caring, located next door, was not damaged, they did send their clients home for the day due to the smoke. Reports say on the other side of the damaged space, The Red Card Pub and Grub, did not appear to suffer any damage. Fire officials are recommending that the property manager have all of the Center’s HVAC filters cleaned or replaced.