Spokane Valley Fire roundup: Two homes ablaze reported 10 minutes apart
Being a firefighter is an unpredictable business. Crews can be kept running from call to call or go hours between calls. On Feb. 18, the entire Spokane Valley Fire Department scrambled to respond to two fires called in only 10 minutes apart.
The first call, a fire at an abandoned house in the 12600 block of East Main Avenue, was reported at 12:32 a.m. A neighbor spotted smoke coming from the roof and called firefighters. When crews arrived, they determined that the fire appeared to have started under the front porch and had spread to the attic. Though the house was vacant, the power was still on and created issues for crews as they were trying to put out the fire.
The second fire was reported at 12:42 a.m. in the 9500 block of East Fourth Avenue, where a travel trailer was on fire in a driveway. The trailer was being lived in and a neighbor had alerted those inside to the fire, and they were able to get out, said department spokeswoman Julie Happy.
The trailer did not have a smoke detector, Happy said. One person was taken to a local hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. That person was dragged away from the flames by the neighbor who reported the fire, likely saving the person’s life, Happy said.
The cause of the trailer fire is believed to be a propane heating device that was placed too close to flammable items. The cause of the fire in the vacant home is believed to be a transient’s fire under the front porch that spread to the inside of the home.
Other calls Feb. 15-21
Feb. 15: A pickup truck belonging to a battalion chief was hit from behind while crews were assisting with an accident on westbound Interstate 90 near Sullivan Road at 12:22 p.m. The truck, Valley 22, was parked behind the accident in order to help protect crews as they worked. No one was in the vehicle when it was hit. One of the four people in the car that struck V22 reported minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital. A crew responded to a call to help get a puppy out from underneath a trailer in the 4800 block of North Powell Road at 1:36 p.m. The puppy was a 6-month-old German shepherd weighing about 30 or 40 pounds. The dog wasn’t stuck but was simply frightened and wouldn’t come out. A woman on scene advised that the dog had tried to bite her. She was advised to call animal control for assistance. A possible natural gas leak was reported in the 16000 block of East Indiana Avenue at 7:26 p.m. There was a slight gas smell but nothing registered on the monitor. Avista was advised.
Feb. 16: A fire alarm summoned crews to an apartment building in the 24900 block of North Spotted Owl Lane at 4:06 a.m. It was determined that a sprinkler head had frozen and broken. The sprinkler system was shut down. Crews were called to the Applebee’s restaurant at 6:10 a.m. for a fire alarm. They found a partially activated sprinkler head in the walk-in refrigerator, but no evidence of fire. The system was shut down. A car fire was reported at Boone Avenue and Elton Road at 4:16 p.m. The car’s dashboard had caught fire near the stereo and a bystander used a fire extinguisher to put it out before crews arrived.
Feb. 17: A fire was reported at Bowdish Middle School at 5:06 a.m. The alarm system was indicating a fire in one room, where crews found a light haze of smoke and the smell of burnt electrical wiring. The problem was traced to a blower motor. A fire alarm sounded in the 1300 block of North Argonne Road at 1:01 p.m. A sprinkler system pipe in an exterior wall had burst, sending water into a business. The system was shut down.
Feb. 19: Crews were called to the Bethany Nursing Home in the 9100 block of East Upriver Drive for a fire alarm at 8:03 p.m. They checked the indicated room and could smell marijuana smoke. No fire was found.
Feb. 20: A possible natural gas leak was reported in an apartment in the 12400 block of East Mansfield Avenue at 12:21 a.m. The residents had just moved in and apartment maintenance had connected the dryer to the natural gas line. The crew could smell a strong natural gas odor. The gas to the dryer was shut off and Avista was called. A fire was reported next to a trailer in the 4700 block of East First Avenue at 5:12 p.m. A man on scene told firefighters he was trying to thaw his water pipes. He was advised that using fire to do so was hazardous and that he should find another way to thaw his pipes.
Feb. 21: An alarm sounded at Brookdale Park Place at 2:18 p.m. A pipe had burst inside a ceiling and water was pouring down. The water was shut off. A fire was reported under the melting furnace at Kaiser Aluminum at 6:40 p.m. Crews found the building full of smoke when they arrived. The fire was put out.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 379 calls the week of Feb. 15-21, including 293 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included 34 car crashes, a chicken coop fire, a 4-year-old child accidentally locked inside a running vehicle, a small living room fire started by a 4-year-old child playing with matches, and a smoke detector set off by a resident cooking steak.
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Nina Culver can be reached at nculver47@gmail.com