Report of smoke at Spokane City Hall triggers huge response from firefighters who found no fire

A report of smoke at Spokane City Hall drew a massive firefighter response and forced people inside the downtown building to evacuate Thursday afternoon.

Ultimately, firefighters did not find smoke or a fire, said Justin de Ruyter, Spokane Fire Department spokesperson.

Employees on the seventh floor, which includes the mayor’s office, reported seeing smoke and smelling a chemical, de Ruyter said. A fire alarm was activated and security evacuated the entire building.

“Security acted quick, and that’s key,” de Ruyter said.

Several fire vehicles responded to City Hall on Spokane Falls Boulevard and did not find anything wrong during the search of the building.

Crews were dispatched at 1:17 p.m. and cleared the scene at 2:05 p.m., de Ruyter said. The PulsePoint app showed 18 fire vehicles responded.

A reported fire at a building seven stories or higher will trigger a high-rise building response, which draws more fire units to the scene than a standard commercial fire, he said.