COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — An art gallery in Downtown Coeur d’Alene was able to avoid damage Monday after a fire destroyed several nearby businesses.
It’s because of a firewall that was already built into the Emerge Gallery’s building. It bought firefighters enough time to remove art from the walls.
"The firewall is designed to lend some structural stability as well as keep fire out of the other side of that building," said Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Deputy Chief Luke Pichette.
When it comes to firewalls, the thickness of the wall and the type of material used often play an important role. According to the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department, the walls are typically sealed with fire protective materials.
"They're not in every building. In this case, it helped one section of the building and we were able to salvage some stuff out of it," Pichette said.
The fire department said the walls often protrude on the roof, ideally preventing flames. On Google Maps, the top of the firewall appears visible too.
The gallery’s firewall was brick and it allowed firefighters to save as much as they could.
It also goes to show that when it comes to fighting fires, having some knowledge of a building and how it's designed can go a long way in the fight.
"We have to stay up on building types and how they construct things. This is a little bit older, so we had a good feeling of probably what was inside and how it was constructed," Pichette said.
Fire investigators are still trying to figure out what specifically sparked this fire.