Pitas of appreciation

COEUR d’ALENE — After Pita Pit's national headquarters offices caught fire Wednesday evening, the store employees were quick to whip up some pitas of appreciation.

"The director of training was in the middle of franchisee training and he said, 'Let's feed all these firefighters,'" Coeur d'Alene Pita Pit general manager Lauren Casey said Thursday. "Right before closing we made 41 pitas and bottled water and bagged them up for them when they were done working.

"It's nice to be able to work for a company that we are able to give food. If we worked for retail we couldn't just give away merchandise."

The smoky stench of fire still hung in the air Thursday afternoon around the building where the offices are housed at 325 E. Sherman Ave.

The three-alarm fire was reported around 7 p.m. Wednesday. Nearly 40 firefighters from Coeur d'Alene Fire Department, Northern Lakes, Kootenai Fire and Mica Kidd Island fire districts responded with 19 vehicles and were on the scene until about 11:30.

"The fire was out quickly," Casey said. "There was just a ton of smoke."

Most of the fire was contained to a data server/records room on the second floor occupied by Pita Pit, according to the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department. On the first floor, the historic building also houses the Beacon Pub, which sustained significant water damage. On the doors of the pub are orange signs that read, "Do not enter — unsafe to occupy."

Fire also extended to the third floor of the building through wall openings.

"This building did not have fire sprinklers and they were not required. The Coeur d'Alene Building department has deemed the building unsafe to occupy at this time. The building has been released by the fire department and returned to the building owners to begin their salvage and reconstruction process,” said a statement issued Thursday by the fire department.

The cause of the fire is undetermined.

Coeur d'Alene Fire said it appears to be an accident and there is no indication of an intentional cause, but the investigation is ongoing.

The building was erected in 1890. The Beacon was once the old Idaho First National Bank before it was a penny candy store. The Beacon Pub opened in 2006.

Coeur d'Alene Fire said it was a good thing the fire happened when it did.

"Many people were enjoying the downtown nightlife economy when the fire was reported," said the fire department’s statement. "If it had occurred after hours it may not have been discovered until it was much larger."