Investigators blame wall-mounted heater for fire in Otis Orchards; no cause yet for fatal Spokane fire

Investigators continue to try to determine the cause of two fires from the past two weekends that left two people injured, and killed a 3-year-old boy and a dog.

On Oct. 21, a fire in the 4000 block of East Longfellow Avenue started around 11:30 p.m. The two residents in the house were able to evacuate their three children but were unable to reach 3-year-old Noah Whitcher, who died huddled next to a dog.

The Spokane Police Department and Fire Department are continuing to investigate, but so far “the details of that are extremely limited,” said Brian Schaeffer, assistant fire chief.

The following Friday, Oct. 29, Angel Fiorini was seriously burned after saving her three children from a house fire in the 6000 block of North Starr Road in Otis Orchards. She awoke to the smell of smoke and managed to rescue all of her children before collapsing at the front doorway with Gianna Fiorini, her oldest daughter.

The two were taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment of severe burns. There is a GoFundMe page set up to support the family.

Melanie Rose, a spokesperson for the Spokane Valley Fire Department, said the cause of the fire is undetermined, though investigators are looking into the possibility that a wall-mounted heater in one of the rooms caused the blaze.

Investigators have been unable to interview Angel Fiorini as she recovers from her injuries.

The cost of the destruction, including the contents of the home, is estimated at around $23,000, Rose said.

“It’s a total loss,” she said. “It was completely destroyed.”

There were no working smoke detectors in either home.