Fire that destroyed longhouse confirmed to be electrical

Investigators confirmed an accidental electrical fire is to blame for the destruction of the Chief Joseph Nez Perce Longhouse. The fire started at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday at the historic longhouse on the Colville Reservation. The building, a religious and cultural center for the Colville Confederated Tribes, was completely destroyed, as were all of the historical items stored inside. The tribes’ History and Archeology Program will be collecting photos and memories about the longhouse from tribe members, said John Sirois, chairman of the Colville Business Council of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.