Elderly resident dies after trailer home catches fire early Thursday morning in Spokane Valley

The elderly resident of a trailer home died after it caught fire in Spokane Valley early Thursday morning.

Just before 5:45 a.m., a passerby, who knew the home’s resident, reported flames coming from a trailer home on the 900 block of South Nina Circle. The bystander tried to enter the home, but couldn’t due to black smoke and intense flames.

When Spokane Valley Fire Department crews arrived less than 5 minutes later, they saw a single-wide mobile home with flames visible in four windows on one side of the home, according to a fire department news release.

Firefighters were familiar with the home from previous medical calls and quickly entered to look for the resident, but with the smoke and heavy fire, the resident did not survive.

The fire department initially withheld information on the death until family members could be notified.

“Spokane Valley Fire is saddened at the loss of a member of our community and offer condolences to the family for their great loss,” a fire department statement reads.

Additional units were called in, bringing the total to six engine companies, two ladder companies and command staff.

Firefighters from the city of Spokane and Fire District 8 also responded to the call.

The trailer fire was the second working fire for firefighters on that shift.

Crews continued to rotate through “firewatch” at the Spokane Valley fire that displaced seven people Wednesday evening.

The cause of the fire is under examination with help from an additional forensic investigator.