Spokane, Wash. — Fairmount Memorial Park is reopening its gates to the public following damage from the Old Trails Fire. While two structures were burned, the cemetery’s gravesites were virtually unharmed, allowing families to visit their loved ones again.
The fire forced the cemetery to close as staff prioritized safety and worked with contractors and utility companies to ensure the grounds were secure for both employees and visitors. Candace Aramburu, director of HR and marketing for Fairmount Memorial Association, explained the careful approach taken during the recovery process.
“We were at a level three until last week,” Aramburu said. “For us, I was safety first. We wanted to be able to come in and make sure everything was safe, so we could work with contractors and utility companies to really just make sure the park is as safe as possible for our employees and then opening it back up to the public.”
The Old Trails Fire destroyed significant portions of the cemetery’s infrastructure. The maintenance facility, which had operated at the location for 70 years, was completely lost, along with the pump house. Both buildings represent a considerable loss of history and operational capacity for the cemetery.
David Ittner, president and CEO of Fairmount Memorial Association, acknowledged the damage while expressing gratitude that the situation was not worse.
“Our hearts are with people that lost their actual homes,” Ittner said. “We lost a maintenance facility that’s been here for 70 years, there’s a lot of history tied to that. It’s disheartening in that sense, but we got lucky.”
The cremation gardens, where much of the grass and vegetation was burned, required extensive cleanup work over the past two weeks. Staff spent considerable time clearing debris and preparing the grounds for public access. The cemetery will operate on limited hours, opening at sunrise and closing at sunset, as restoration efforts continue.
The loss of the irrigation system will present ongoing challenges as the cemetery works to restore landscaping and vegetation. However, the preservation of the gravesites themselves means families can resume visits to honor their loved ones without the added burden of discovering damage to burial sites.
The cemetery’s office will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to assist visitors and address any concerns. Staff are encouraging anyone who discovers damage to a gravesite to contact the office immediately so repairs can be prioritized.
Despite the setback, the cemetery’s leadership remains focused on recovery. Ittner emphasized that the goal is to restore Fairmount Memorial Park to normal operations as quickly as possible. The staff expressed deep gratitude for the work of firefighters who contained the blaze and protected the cemetery from more extensive damage.
The rebuilding process will take time, particularly for the two destroyed structures. However, the ability to reopen the park allows the community to continue paying respects to those buried there, providing some measure of normalcy during the recovery period.
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