Fire department responds to suspicious blaze

Spokane Valley Fire Department responded to 179 calls between April 4 and 10.

Ten of those calls involved fires, said spokesman Bill Clifford. One small blaze was caused by plywood that was left on a stove top. The fire is considered suspicious.

Fire crews responded to 18 vehicle crashes, Clifford said. Four patients were transported with non life-threatening injuries. A couple of other patients, who refused treatment at the crash scenes, were told they should go to the hospital to be checked out.

The department was sent out on 137 emergency medical calls, but nothing unusual, Clifford said.

Crews responded to three hazardous materials investigations, of which one was a broken gas line caused by a forklift, another from a backhoe, Clifford said. “The message: Be sure to have all utilities located before digging into the ground.”