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Press Release Date: 3/5/2009
Officials trying to determine damage from CAH fire
Lewis-Clark State College and Lewiston Fire Department officials are currently assessing the damage caused by a fire Thursday morning at the Lewis-Clark State College Center for Arts & History Building, located in downtown Lewiston.
The fire, which eyewitnesses say started in the kitchen area on the main floor, was contained by fire department officials from both Lewiston and Clarkston. Flames were visible coming out of windows on the main story, according to eyewitnesses, but were contained to the main level.
No one was injured in the fire.
LCSC officials did say the Irish Tea fundraiser for Saturday has been postponed and an announcement about a possible future date will be made later.
Both LCSC and fire department officials were in the building accessing fire, smoke and water damage early Thursday afternoon. Carbon monoxide levels in the basement of the building were still too high to allow LCSC officials to enter the area. The basement area is used for storage.
The kitchen and gift shop area on the main level suffered extensive damage, while the main gallery had smoke and soot damage.
The second floor, which consists of a gallery and offices for the LCSC Continuing Education & Community Events program, also suffered from smoke damage, but no apparent structural damage. Continuing Education and Community Events staff members were attempting to clear out their offices early Thursday afternoon.
CECE will temporarily be housed on the LCSC campus.
Officials also were trying to access the damage to the three exhibits on display at the Center. LCSC professors Ray Esparsen and Diane Doty had paintings, drawings, and sculptures on display in the main floor gallery. In Gallery II was an exhibit entitled “Pictorial Beading the Nez Perce Way,” which featured a retrospective of Nez Perce beadwork over the last 150 years. Also on permanent display is the “Chinese at the Confluence: Lewiston’s Beuk Aie Temple.”
Pieces of the exhibits were being removed from the building and there was visible smoke damage to some of the items. The items have been moved to an offsite location and secured.
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