The American Red Cross says it is assisting 18 adults and eight pets displaced by a fire downtown Spokane Saturday morning.

The fire was reported around 11 a.m. at Catholic Charities’ Donna Hanson Ave., according to the Red Cross.
According to Red Cross, the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) conducted a second assessment Saturday evening, declaring the building “uninhabitable” after finding a significant water leak as a result of the fire.

Catholic Charities is assisting the rest of the residents with temporary lodging. The cause of the fire is unknown as of Saturday evening.

KREM-TV CBS 2 Spokane

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Doug Blackburn was by all accounts a dedicated firefighter with a keen eye for firefighting equipment, the older the better. Blackburn retired from a Vancouver, Wash. fire department in 2006 and spent his remaining years amassing a collection of vintage equipment at his home in LaCenter, about 20 miles north.

Together with his partner, Blackburn built a stunning collection of vintage fire engines and all manner of gear. Nothing escaped the couple’s notice: Lanterns, nozzles, pressure gauges, old-timey helmets, bells, hoses, hooks and ladders, apparel, art and far more.

Blackburn restored his fire engines with original equipment. He proudly displayed his gleaming equipment at fairs and special events. In one YouTube video, he fires up an 1898 steam engine while a young firefighter aims an impressive stream propelled by 900 gallons per minute over nearby Douglas firs.

When it wasn’t on the road, Blackburn’s collection was held in a single storage building. And that’s where it remained until he died last October at 81. Heirs unsure what to do with it. In a story that’s familiar to anyone who ever inherited a treasured collection from a loved one, Blackburn left no plan.

His partner and heirs decided against continuing his work and turned to a society of like-minded collectors to figure out what to do with his treasures. They connected with Pasco’s Musser Bros. Auctions. Musser Bros is a group of family-owned businesses that run auctions for real estate, businesses, cars, trucks, estates and major collections like the one Blackburn left behind.

Scott Musser, president and CEO, agreed to take it on, though he admits he didn’t know much about fire gear at the time. Today, all 955-plus pieces up for bid on the company’s website. The auction closes at noon, Oct. 27. Go to mbauction.com. Spectacular history

Musser said the Blackburn collection has attracted interest from across the U.S. Bidders hail from 30 (and counting) states, with heavy concentrations in the Northeast and the West Coast.

Union Bulletin

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Pasco city leaders spent a special meeting Thursday afternoon weighing budget options that could affect police, fire and parks services while residents urged the council to protect core programs.

The meeting focused on budget scenarios for 2027 and 2028, including one option with no new taxes and another that would add revenue through taxes and fees. Council members said no final decisions were made during the meeting and noted more public hearings were still required.

City Manager Harold Stewart told the council the city expected to finish 2026 with about $16 million in general fund reserves. He said the Government Finance Officers Association recommended keeping at least two months of operating costs in reserve and said Pasco spent about $7.5 million a month from the general fund.

Stewart said one no-new-tax option still left a roughly $2.5 million gap in 2027 and would require reserve use. He said that scenario largely spared police and fire staffing but pushed deeper cuts into other departments.

KNDO-TV NBC 23 Yakima

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Rutland Dundee Fire Protection District Firefighter Greg Witt died after a medical emergency during training.

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A fire truck and another vehicle collided Sunday afternoon on Route 202 in Litchfield, causing non-life-threatening injuries, state police said.

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