A fire that destroyed the headquarters of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation appears to have been an accident, The Wenatchee World reported.

The preliminary investigation didn't turn up anything suspicious, the paper said. The fire apparently started in the basement before spreading to the rest of the building.

Cedar was used throughout the entire structure, which hastened its demise. The headquarters was 40 years old and was built before the tribe updated its fire code.

“Cedar is important to our people, and I understand why it was built from cedar,” Chairman Michael Finley told the paper. “But when you look at it from the perspective of a fire marshal, it may not be the best building material.”

The tribe lost an untold number of official records in the fire.

Get the Story:
Fire at tribal headquarters appears accidental (The Wenatchee World 7/31)
Tribal headquarters burns down (The Grand Coulee Star 7/31)
Colville headquarters collapse after fire (The Spokesman Review 7/30)
Fire destroys Colville tribe's headquarters (The Omak Chronicle 7/29)
Flames destroy Colville Tribe Headquarters, no injuries (AP 7/29)
Fire destroys Colville Tribe's administration building (The Stevens County News 7/29)

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Headquarters of Colville Tribes completely destroyed by blaze (7/29)