Fire destroys Spokane Valley home

A neighborhood telephone list may have saved a man’s life early Saturday morning when neighbors woke him up by calling to tell him his house was on fire. The residents of 3515 S. Ridgeview Drive told firefighters they were woken up by what sounded like an explosion shortly before 2:30 a.m., said Spokane Valley Fire Chief Mike Thompson. Their neighbor’s home at 3507 S. Ridgeview was on fire and the flames were spreading. They quickly left their house, but were able to grab a neighborhood telephone contact list before leaving. Thanks to their timely phone call a man sleeping in the basement of the burning home was able to escape. Multiple units from Spokane Valley Fire and Fire District 8 responded to put out the flames. The back of the house and the attached garage were on fire when firefighters arrived, Thompson said, and flames had spread to the eaves of the neighbors’ garage. The home was a total loss and the neighbors’ home at 3515 S. Ridgeview sustained minor damage to the eaves and attic area of the attached garage. Thompson said the homeowners are away on vacation and their son was staying in the house while they were gone. The Spokane County Assessor’s Office lists the owners as Robert and Leia Locker. An investigation into the cause of the fire is still underway, but it does not appear to be suspicious, Thompson said. “There’s so much destruction, it’s going to take a while to put things together.”