Disaster Strikes Spokane Falls Again
Mayor R.K. Nichols of North Yakima reaches out as news of a second major fire catastrophe hits Spokane.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
On Wednesday word came over the wire that Spokane Falls was again burning, and the following day there were additional rumors which even went so far as to chronicle the burning of the new Hotel Spokane and the entire rebuilt portion of the city. Acting under these reports, Mayor Nichols telegraphed the Mayor of Spokane Falls: 'North Yakima grieves to learn of Spokane's second fire bath. We are ready to do everything we can. Wire if we can help.' The answer was received at 8:30 in the afternoon: 'Thanks for your expressions of sympathy and offer of assistance. We are not in need at this time. Loss not exceeding $150,000, being from frame buildings and our longest bridge.' The Spokane fires, for there were two big and seven minor blazes within twelve hours, were unquestionably of incendiary origin. The fire on the north side of the river broke out in the kitchen of the Burlington Hotel near the Monroe Street bridge and lapped up every building in the block.
“North Yakima grieves to learn of Spokane's second fire bath. We are ready to do everything we can.”
The massive fires in 1889 and 1890 were defining moments for Spokane, leading to modern building codes and fire suppression standards. Today, wildfire risk remains a constant, shared concern for communities across the Inland Northwest.
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