Fire roundup: Injured woman, son kayakers rescued on Spokane River
A pair of kayakers found themselves in trouble and called the Spokane Valley Fire Department recently to help.
A woman and her son were on the Spokane River when the woman injured her ankle just east of Mirabeau Park just after 8:30 p.m. on June 25, said department spokeswoman Julie Happy. Crews launched their own kayaks and were able to get to the woman on the north shore and help her and her 14-year-old son to safety.
The pair were wearing life jackets, which likely helped them escape further harm. The river is still high and fast this time of year and can be dangerous.
Other calls from June 22-28
June 22: Bystanders called in a small brush fire near the Maringo trailhead on the Centennial Trail around 3:40 p.m. The 40 by 40 fire was slow moving and was put out. Multiple callers reported a fire in the 12000 block of East Mission at 10:02. Crews found a shed and a tree on fire and a large column of smoke. Modern Electric was called due to a burning power line.
June 23: Crews were called back to the Maringo trailhead at 11:22 a.m. after someone reported seeing smoke in the area that burned the day before. A few embers were found. A backhoe is believed to have punctured a natural gas line in the 24000 block of East Blue Ridge Avenue just after 1:30 p.m. Hissing could be heard by crews. Avista arrived to shut off the gas.
June 24: Someone reported seeing a man running away from a grass fire in the 200 block of South Steen Road at 5:10 p.m. The fire was located in a field and firefighters went in on foot while others removed a gate to allow a brush truck access to the fire.
June 25: A stranded kayaker was reported in the Spokane River near Mirabeau Point at 8:21 p.m. The caller said the kayaker had lipped and was stuck on a rock in the river. Crews were able to get the kayaker to shore. A small brush fire was reported next to the railroad track in the area of Flora Pit Road and Euclid Avenue. The fire was started by a blown transformer.
June 27: A small grass fire was reported in the 21000 block of East Gilbert Road just before 4 p.m. The remains of a sparkler bomb were found at the scene and a witness reported seeing a white truck driving away after hearing an explosion. Surveillance video of the incident was located.
June 28: Two small fires were found smoldering in thick brush at Pines Road and Mansfield Avenue at 2:13 p.m. One fire appeared to be an unattended camp fire that had spread. A car went off the road and hit trees and a telephone poll in the 13000 block of East Trent Avenue at 8:39 p.m. The driver fled the scene. The crash is under investigation by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. A chicken coop fire was reported in the 26900 block of East Wabash Avenue at 11:19 p.m. The coop was on the back patio of a home and the flames spread to the attic. Two adults, a teenager, an infant and two dogs were able to escape the home unharmed. A smoking vehicle was reported on the sidewalk after hitting a pole in the 9100 block of East Upriver Drive at 11:18 p.m.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 373 calls from June 22-28, including 294 calls for emergency medical services. Other calls included 19 car crashes, a child accidentally locked inside a car, a dog locked inside a car, a woman stuck in an elevator and a woman who reported being locked out of her home. Firefighters found her keys in her purse.