Spokane Valley Fire roundup: Two injured in suspected arson in apartment; teenage girl arrested
Two people were injured in an apartment fire battled by crews from the Spokane Valley Fire Department on Sept. 28 and a teenage girl was arrested at the scene by Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputies on suspicion that she set the fire.
A call for help came in at 3:50 a.m. The family living in the apartment told firefighters their 15-year-old daughter was missing. The fire was spreading in the basement when firefighters arrived and firefighters launched a search for the girl, department spokeswoman Julie Happy said.
Windows were beginning to shatter as firefighters searched unsuccessfully for the teen. They were able to get out of the basement just before a flashover, which happens when a fire spreads rapidly because of intense heat.
One of the residents was burned while trying to put out the fire, and a firefighter was injured by a piece of falling sheet rock.
The teenager was arrested on suspicion of arson and attempted murder. The Red Cross provided assistance to the family.
Other calls Sept. 28 to Oct. 4
Sept. 28: A caller reported seeing someone jump from the Argonne Bridge into the Spokane River at 4:38 p.m. The department’s marine rescue team searched the river and found a set of wet footprints leading from the river to a sidewalk near the bridge.
Oct. 1: A fire alarm summoned firefighters to a day care in the 200 block of South Sullivan Road at 8:32 a.m. The children evacuated safely. The director of the facility said she saw smoke coming from an HVAC closet when the furnace came on and pulled the alarm. No fire was found. Crews were called to the 10300 block of East Desmet Avenue at 11:56 p.m. to help a woman with her finger stuck between the seat rails in her car after family members were unable to free her. Firefighters took out four bolts and removed the seat from the car to free the woman, then replaced the seat.
Oct. 3: Crews responded to a two-vehicle crash that sent one vehicle through a fence in the 13500 block of East Fourth Avenue at 3:34 p.m.
Oct. 4: A smoke detector activated in a home in the 13500 block of East Seventh Avenue at 11:20 a.m. It was determined that burnt food had activated the alarm. An illegal recreational fire was reported in the 11500 block of East Buckeye Avenue. The homeowner said he knew about the burn ban and had accidentally lit the fire with a cigarette.
By the numbers: Firefighters responded to 332 calls the week of Sept. 28-Oct. 4, including 276 calls for emergency medical services. Additional responses included 10 car crashes, a fire alarm trigger by constantly running dryers in a care facility and an apartment complex fire alarm pulled by children.