Basin firefighters help investigate Wenatchee fire

WENATCHEE — Firefighters from Grant County are assisting the investigation of the source of the Davis Furniture warehouse fire.

A fire burned down the warehouse Tuesday in Wenatchee.

Grant County Fire District. No. 3 Fire Chief Don Fortier volunteered to rummage through the rubble, even though his district was not dispatched to fight the fire Tuesday.

"We are just getting started," Fortier said by cell phone from the site.

About 10 firefighters from numerous districts are helping assist in the investigation including the Moses Lake Fire Department, the Ephrata Fire Department and firefighters from Okanogan County, he said.

"It takes a lot of hands and manpower to investigate the scene," Fortier said.

When a fire destroys such a large area or building several are asked to assist, otherwise it can take an enormous amount of time, he added.

Interviews of those who witnessed the fire are being conducted, he said.

Parts of the building are still smoldering and the roof is caved in, he added. He is not sure how long the crew will be working on the scene.

To keep the investigating firefighters safe, respirators are on hand in case of smoke inhalation and a contractor is stabilizing the walls still standing.

Grant County Fire District No. 3 in Quincy was not dispatched to the initial Tuesday blaze, but fire departments from Chelan County and Douglas County were sent to assist the Wenatchee Fire Department, according to the Wenatchee Fire Department.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is leading the investigation due to the extensive monetary loss due to the fire, Fortier said.