Fire Causes Significant Damage To East Wenatchee Shop Building

A dethatched shop building at an East Wenatchee residence has damage following a fire on Thursday afternoon.

The Wenatchee Valley Fire Department says crews responded to the blaze in the 200 block of 12th Place Northeast at around 5 p.m. after several neighbors called 9-1-1 to report seeing smoke emanating from the structure.

Get our free mobile app

"As crews arrived they confirmed that it was a shop that was on fire," says Fire Chief Brian Brett. "There was heavy smoke billowing from the roof and one of its doors."

The adjacent residence and a travel trailer next to the shop were both threatened by the flames, which Brett says crews were able to quickly knock down.

"Our crews were able to make a quick interior attack on the fire. While they were inside they discovered that the garage had a mezzanine level, and they used it advance a hose line and extinguish the fire."

Brett says one person who was inside the shop when the fire broke out was able to safely evacuate and there were no injuries.

Damage to the structure was significant, but Brett says it should prove repairable.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, however, Brett says the likely culprit for its ignition was a lithium-ion battery attached to a scooter that overheated.