Fire relief distribution center at Northtown Mall may be closing soon

SPOKANE, Wash. — The fire relief distribution center at Northtown Mall still has plenty of supplies for fire survivors, but fewer people have been stopping by.

Spokane County Emergency Management announced the distribution center will stay open for at least another week. Once it closes, the county will work with Adventist Community Services to send leftover donations to organizations that can distribute them to people in need.

Richie Brower, director of community engagement for Adventist Community Services, said the shift in visitors reflects progress in recovery efforts, even as critical needs persist.

“The percentage of those families coming in, though there’s less of them, a higher percentage over the last 10 days were people who lost their home in the fire and lost everything. That tells us we’re still meeting a need here,” Brower said.

Certain items have been in high demand throughout the center’s operation. Towels, bedding, and pillows have consistently flown off the shelves, particularly for families who lost everything in the fires. The center reserves these items specifically for those households.

“What we’re seeing as an up tick is cookware. If you were setting up an empty kitchen, what would you need? Baking supplies, small appliances, those kind of things,” Brower said.

Brower encouraged fire survivors to visit the center soon if they need supplies. He emphasized that Adventist Community Services is committed to ensuring no donations go to waste.

“Partners like Second Harvest and others who will find avenues so that everything donated, it’s not going to be wasted, it’s not going to be sitting here collecting dust. It’s going to go to people who can benefit from it,” Brower said.

Adventist Community Services has already begun sending donations to other areas in Eastern Washington affected by wildfires. The organization recently sent pet food to the Colville area to support fire survivors there.