Moses Lake business closing its doors after second fire

MOSES LAKE - Heavy smoke filled the inside of home decor store Real Deals on Home Decor Thursday as a small fire broke out in the back of the building.

The fire started when a water cooler malfunctioned, according to Brett Bastian, assistant fire chief of the Moses Lake Fire Department.

This is the second fire for the Moses Lake business. The first fire, in 2012, destroyed Real Deals' former location on West Marina Drive, according to previous reports from the Columbia Basin Herald. The business's owner wrote the earlier fire was because of electrical issues, according to her business's Facebook page.

The building was a total loss and the business later relocated to the Valley Road location.

According to a post on Real Deals' Facebook page, the business is closing its doors for good in Moses Lake.

"It's been a fun, amazing, emotional ride. But the signs couldn't be clearer that I am to be done," owner Kirsha Widdis wrote. So this is farewell to Real Deals in Moses Lake," her post read.

The business received an outpouring of support from customers and friends on Facebook. A total of 182 comments were posted, many from supporters who wrote they were sorry to see the business go.

Bastian, of the fire department, said the malfunctioning water cooler was located in an office in the rear of Real Deals at the strip mall on Valley Road.

Widdis arrived at the store to find the inside engulfed in smoke.

Bastian said the fire self-extinguished before firefighters arrived on scene but the building received severe smoke damage. He added a ladder truck was called and the fire had not spread to the roof. Thermal imaging found no signs of fire.

Nobody was injured in the incident and a salon next door was evacuated.

Managing Editor Lynne Lynch contributed to this report.