Shed lost in fire on South Palouse Road

COLFAX - Whitman County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a wildland fire at 6:41 p.m. on Sunday, July 28, in which a structure was on fire.

The fire located at 1452 South Palouse River Road had responders on scene requesting evacuations, according to a report by the Whitman County Sheriff's Office.

Colfax volunteer firefighters from Whitman County District 11, Diamond, Steptoe and Albion were called to the building which was fully engulfed in flames.

According to a report by Officer Dan Brown, upon his arrival Colfax firefighters were attempting to put the fire out.

Brown reported that the house located next to the fire was not touched by flames, but the grass around the house and pasture were burning.

"I stayed in the area and fire units had the scene under control," Brown reported, stating that no evacuations were needed.

Brown received a call from Colfax Firefighter David Buckley at 9:43 p.m., during which Buckley had told him the fire department would have Pullman Fire Marshall Darren Jones investigate the scene on Monday, July 29.

Buckley said that Colfax Fire Department was the first fire unit on scene and had to break the lock on the gate to access the property, Brown reported.

Jones said that the building was a storage shed, "It caught fire on Sunday evening and then a little bit of the land around the property," he said.

Brown reported that Buckley said the shed was approximately 10' x 20', with no electricity to it, no one was on scene when he arrived and he believed it to be arson.

According to public record, the property owned by Eddy Ng, had several security cameras.

Buckley was reviewing the footage to see if it showed anything and wanted the Whitman County Sheriff's Office to be aware of the situation, Brown reported.

According to Jones the grass was dry, but it was mowed down low enough that it kept it from spreading to the house.

"Many neighbors up on the hill saw and heard the fire," Jones said, "They were some of the first to call it in."

On Monday, Jones arrived on scene to investigate and said that it was just property damage. "The shed was a total loss," he said.

Jones said that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.