‘Total devastation.’ Recovery effort starts after fire ravages historic Tri-Cities building

Cindy Mosley Cleary is not sure what the future holds for her business after a raging fire gutted a downtown Kennewick building Friday.

“I know it’s a loss, waterlogged and collapsed ceiling,” she told the Herald in a Facebook message. “It was very devastating to watch.”

Her store, The Lady Bug Shoppe, carried an eclectic combination of new gift items and vintage goods and had been in business for five years on the first floor of the historic Cascade building.

All she can do now is look in the window, since the building at Kennewick Avenue and Cascade Street isn’t safe to enter.

“We do not know when or if we will have access for cleanup,” she said. “At this time we are not sure what is needed besides thoughts and prayers.”

The shop was one of five businesses shut down by the two-alarm fire that is believed to have started about 5:30 a.m. on the second floor where there are six apartments.

Cleary took to Facebook on Friday to thank the fire departments for helping the 10 people living there.

“Keep these people in your hearts and prayers,” she said on Facebook. “While many of us have lost our businesses, they have lost their homes.”

Eight adults and two children fled the fire, including a man who was in critical condition with burns and smoke inhalation. said officials.

Losing everything

Cousins Renee Purser-Niezgoda and Gabrielle Pfannenstiel and their young children were two of the residents who dashed out of their room into a smoke-filled hallway.

Pfannenstiel woke up to screams in the unit where the fire started and went and woke up her cousin. They then grabbed their daughters and fled outside.

“We had enough time to run out without shoes,” Purser-Niezgoda said. “The building is so old it went up like a matchbox.”

Both have little more than the clothes they were wearing.

Now they are searching for clothing and worrying about finding a place to live that is as affordable as that apartment. Pfannenstiel moved there two to three years ago and Purser-Niezgoda had moved in weeks before.

“We’re just trying to collect as many resources as possible,” Purser-Niezgoda said. “We’ve trying to figure out what we can do here. It’s a lot to handle at once. We’ve never had to experience losing everything at once.”

A fundraiser has been organized on Facebook for Purser-Niezgoda.

Deputy Fire Chief Michael Heffner credited smoke alarms for alerting the residents.

There also were reports of a man running from door to door trying to make sure everyone had gotten out.

The injured man was coming out of the building as fire crews arrived and was rush to the hospital, he said.

Firefighters still haven’t determined the cause of the fire. And the structural integrity of the building is still being evaluated.

Aerial fire attack

The first crews arrived within 4 minutes and entered the building to check for anyone trapped inside, but the “extreme and unsafe” smoke and fire conditions forced them to retreat, Fire Chief Chad Michael said later in a news release.

A request for a second alarm brought in help from firefighters and equipment from Pasco, Richland and Benton County Fire District 1.

And when they couldn’t fight the blaze from the inside, they worked with ladder trucks to spray large volumes of water from above down onto the second story.

“The building continued to be too unsafe to place firefighters inside during the entire duration of the fire,” said Michael.

Other firefighters were assigned to the inside of neighboring buildings to keep the fire from spreading to the rest of the block.

Immediately to the east of the Cascade building is the Desert Gem & Appraisal and Foodies Brick and Mortar restaurant.

Both were forced to close Friday because electricity and other utilities needed to be cut as firefighters battled the blaze. Foodies posted on social media that they are closed indefinitely and encouraged customers to visit their Richland restaurant.

About 2 1/2 hours later, they had the fire under control and monitored it for several hours more to keep it from flaring up.

Fire aftermath

The other businesses on the first floor affected are Neil Wilson Insurance Agency, Squeaky Clean Janitorial Service, Ashiatsu Massage and The Social Club Salon.

Between the American Red Cross, the Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership and family and friends, all of the people caught in the fire have been able to find temporary shelter.

While businesses and people pick up the pieces, the Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership has started working on organizing fundraising efforts for the people affected.

Stephanie Button, the partnership’s executive director, said they are in the process of setting up an aid fund for people to donate to. They money will go straight to those affected.

“So many people have been reaching out asking how they can help,” she said. “These are our neighbors. This is a really intimately connected downtown.”

She said it’s going to take a while for the businesses and people involved in the fire to recover. For now, businesses are contacting their insurance companies, and residents have found temporary shelter.

“I know there is a lot of shock,” she said. “As far as the 300 (block) building, it’s total devastation. It’s going to take a while to rehab.”

Some people have started private fundraisers, including one Facebook fundraiser set up for a resident of the apartments.

This story was originally published February 5, 2022 at 1:45 PM.