Fire rips through Coeur d’Alene strip mall

A fire gutted a strip mall Wednesday night in Coeur d’Alene, causing part of the roof to collapse and ruining several stores with smoke damage.

The Coeur d’Alene Fire Department’s entire fleet, plus three ambulances and five vehicles from other departments, responded to the three-alarm fire at about 10:10 p.m., and crews remained on scene until about 2:30 a.m., said fire inspector Craig Etherton. Flames had climbed up to 30 feet.

The row of stores at North Fourth Street and East Hazel Avenue includes Tangles Hair Salon, Golden City Loan and Pawn, and the Good Samaritan Rehabilitation Thrift Store.

Etherton said about a quarter of the roof collapsed, and there was smoke and fire damage throughout the building. It’s not known if the structure would need to be demolished. Doors and windows had been boarded up.

“No area was untouched,” Etherton said. “We had fire in the attic throughout the whole structure.”

Inspectors returned to the building Thursday morning and had not determined a cause, but they are focusing on the storeroom of the thrift shop, where a majority of the flames were concentrated, Etherton said.

No injuries were reported, and inspectors said they do not have reason to believe it was arson.