Fire at Salvage Station’s future home was human made, fire department says

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Asheville Fire Department firefighters work to put out a fire on April 23 at 302 Lyman St. Photo: Contributed/Asheville Fire Department

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828NewsNow.com) — The Asheville Fire Department told 828NewsNow on Oct. 30 that a fire which severely damaged a building that the Salvage Station was preparing to make its future home was “human made.”

Nighttime fire engulfs a graffiti-covered building; flames and smoke erupt from the roof as firefighters spray water from hoses. — *Asheville Fire Department firefighters work to put out a fire on April 23 at 302 Lyman St. (Photo credit: Asheville Fire Department)*

“The fire at 302 Lyman St. on April 23, 2026, has been determined to be human made. The investigation is ongoing,” the Asheville Fire Department said in an email.

The industrial building located at 302 Lyman St. was set to become the new home of the Salvage Station music venue. According to past 828NewsNow reporting, the blaze was reported around 11:10 p.m. April 23 at the former Asheville Waste Paper building on Lyman Street. Crews arrived to find a large structure fire with flames visible on the second floor and quickly shifted to a defensive strategy, deploying aerial apparatus to contain the fire.

Red fire department utility vehicle parked in front of a graffiti-covered, dilapidated building with boarded windows and mural art — Asheville firefighters returned to the Salvage Station building on Lyman Street on April 23 after an overnight blaze.

Firefighters in turnout gear near a graffiti-covered, dilapidated two-story building with a red fire engine on the street. — Asheville firefighters returned to the Salvage Station building on Lyman Street on April 23 after an overnight blaze.

The building had been identified in November 2025 as the future home of the Salvage Station, a popular Asheville music venue that was forced to relocate because of the Interstate 26 Connector project.

Plans had called for the venue to operate through the 2024 season at its original Riverside Drive location, but flooding from Tropical Storm Helene caused it to be shut down for good.

The Asheville Fire Department is requesting the public’s help about the Lyman Street building fire.

“We encourage anyone with information about this incident to contact the Asheville Police Department at 828-252-1110,” the fire department said.

Anonymous tips can also be sent by using the TIP2APD smartphone application (search “Asheville PD” in the app store) or by texting TIP2APD to 847411.

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