3 businesses still closed after downtown Kennewick fire. How to help
Three businesses in downtown Kennewick remain closed days after a devastating fire tore through a restaurant and nightclub.
But their neighbors at Rockabilly Roasting Company and Ice Harbor Brewery are donating sales on Monday in hopes of helping them bridge the gap until they can open their doors again.
Firefighters were called to El Tequilas about 6:45 a.m. Tuesday after smoke was seen coming from the roof.
When firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke coming from the front and back doors. When the doors opened, the fire flared up.
Kennewick firefighters were able to douse the blaze with help from Pasco and Richland firefighters and Benton County Fire District 1.
But the fire devastated El Tequilas and left neighboring businesses Storytime Bookshop and Earth Spirit with significant smoke damage, said Stephanie Button, the executive director of the Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership.
JD’s Time Center has been able to open its doors.
Button said the businesses don’t have timelines for when they can reopen and are in limbo as they wait for insurance companies.
“We want to invite everyone down on Monday if they’re able to,” Button said. “We’re all organizing a way to do the fundraising while we’re waiting.”
Rockabilly is two doors down from the fire on the corner of Auburn Street and Kennewick Avenue. Owner Kagen Cox said in a Facebook post the fire was scary for everyone in downtown Kennewick.
“I don’t know how long insurance takes. It can take a long time. There are bills. These are people’s lives. As a small business owner, it just makes us sick to our stomach,” Cox said. “I thought maybe we could be a little bit faster to try and get a little bit of relief in the meantime.”
Other ways to help
A GoFundMe campaign was started by manager Keyra Rodriguez for El Tequilas to help with covering the costs of the people affected.
“This wasn’t just a business. It was a place where our community came together to celebrate, laugh and create unforgettable memories for over 11 years,” Rodriguez wrote. “Today, we ask for your support in helping rebuild something so meaningful to so many.”
The owners moved from Pasco to their location in downtown Kennewick in 2017.
Storytime Bookshop has also offered its affiliate links for bookshop.org and libro.fm. A portion of the purchase price of anything bought through those links will go back to the book store.
“This is still the early stage and all we know is that we’ll be closed for a while,” the bookstore owners said in a Facebook post. “Your support still matters as we move through this as a community.”
The six kittens discovered in the roof at the restaurant are also recovering at the Tri-City Kitty Rescue. They have been dubbed the Emerald Ember Litter and named Phoenix, Smoke, Ash, Spark, Blaze and Cinder. They are all healthy outside some “burnt toe beans and singed hair,” the rescue said on its Facebook page.
While it will be a while before they’re available for adoption, the rescue is running a fundraiser where they will hide plastic eggs in your front yard in time for Easter.
Fire Investigation
Investigators say there are no signs of suspicious activity, but the damage is too severe to give a definitive answer about what started the fire, Chief Michael Heffner told the Tri-City Herald.
It’s believed the fire started on the mezzanine in the back of the restaurant. The area has some electrical utilities that were suspected.
While the damage to the inside of the restaurant will take some work to fix, the building is not in danger of falling down, Heffner said.