During the May 6, 2024, City Council Public Safety Committee meeting, Snoqualmie Fire Department Captain Jake Fouts provided a detailed report about the April 14 downtown commercial building fire.
Cpt. Fouts’ extensive report detailed the multi-agency response to the one-alarm commercial fire that destroyed the nearly 100-year-old building which was home to Chickadee Bakeshop, Littlest Wishes Photography, Snoqualmie Ice Cream, and Snoqualmie Pie Company.
The King County Fire Investigator determined that an exterior wall-mounted light was the likely cause of the fire. Security video footage from the adjacent building helped pinpoint where the fire started. Cpt. Fouts estimated that it took approximately four hours for the fire to penetrate the exterior wall, extend into the building’s interior walls and attic, at which point it became large enough for a passerby to see and call 911.
The estimated property loss was $835,000, with additional content loss valued at $500,000. Due to the quick response by firefighters, the adjacent downtown buildings were saved. The estimated saved property is valued at $1.25 million.
You can watch Cpt. Fouts’ report on the downtown fire by viewing the May 6 Snoqualmie Public Safety Committee meeting. The presentation starts at the 19:50 timestamp.
Downtown fire scene, April 14, 2024.