Cigarettes Ignite a Spokane Lumber Yard
A blaze in the Falls City Lumber Company yard leaves a homeowner and a company with thousands in losses.
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.
Fire broke out in the Falls City Lumber Company's yards on the north side this afternoon, caused by boys smoking cigarettes. A strong wind was blowing, and before the fire could be gotten under control, lumber to the value of $3,000 was consumed, together with a house and barn belonging to Dr. King of Mount Vernon, IA. The house was occupied by L. Williams, whose furniture, valued at $1,000, was a total loss. The loss on the house and barn was $2,300. There was no insurance on the lumber.
“Fire broke out in the Falls City Lumber Company's yards on the north side this afternoon, caused by boys smoking cigarettes.”
A common cautionary tale of the era, the story highlights the vulnerability of the wooden infrastructure that defined Pacific Northwest cities. Today, these same neighborhoods face similar risks, albeit from different sources.
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