Spokane Valley Fire roundup: Firefighters rescue dog from Spokane River by Plante’s Ferry Park
It’s not only people that need rescuing sometimes, and it’s not unusual for Spokane Valley Fire Department crews to free dogs accidentally locked in cars. But last week, crews went the extra mile and rescued a dog precariously perched on a small ledge on the bank of the Spokane River.
The department received a call at 1:22 p.m. on March 1 about a dog that had fallen into the river in the 12300 block of East Upriver Drive by Plantes Ferry Park. The dog was able to get itself out of the water and atop a ledge underneath a rock outcropping that was inaccessible from shore, said department spokeswoman Julie Happy.
Firefighters donned their swift water rescue gear and got into the river upstream of the location so they could safely reach the dog and carry it to shore. The dog was wet and cold, but unharmed.
Other calls March 1-7
March 1: Crews responded to an alarm at an apartment building in the 2700 block of North Cherry Street at 11:35 p.m. They found a stovetop fire caused by burning food that had been put out by the apartment residents.
March 2: An illegal fire was reported in the 2100 block of North Pines Road behind a Subway restaurant at 7:23 p.m. The caller reported seeing a transient leave the fire. The fire was put out.
March 4: A 2-year-old child was accidentally locked inside a vehicle in the area of Sinto Avenue and Wright Boulevard at 10:26 p.m. The usual methods of getting inside a locked car did not work, so the crew obtained permission from the car’s owner to break a window. The child was unharmed. A power line fire in the 2200 block of South University Road at 2:11 p.m. spread to a nearby tree and then to some juniper bushes. It extended into four different yards before it was put out. A possible illegal fire was reported in the area of McMillan Court and Hodges Road at 7:41 p.m. The homeowner reported he was burning branches that had come down in a windstorm. Burning yard debris is illegal, and the homeowner agreed to put out the fire.
March 5: A hotel employee in the 900 block of North Sullivan Road called at 3:06 a.m. to report he had been stuck inside a locked bathroom for an hour. The opening mechanism on the door appeared to be stripped. Crews helped the employee remove the doorknob so he could exit the bathroom. A vehicle fire was reported at Spokane Valley Mall at 11:40 a.m. When crews arrived, the car’s engine was on fire and the flames were put out before they could spread to an adjacent vehicle. The driver reported the car’s high temperature indicator had come on briefly before she parked, and she saw smoke before the car caught on fire.
March 6: A vehicle fire was reported in the 7200 block of East Trent Avenue at 1:27 a.m. Crews found a fire in the passenger compartment when they arrived. The property owner and the car’s owner were contacted. An oven fire was reported in an apartment in the area of Eighth Avenue and Eastern Road at 11:05 a.m. The resident reported pre-heating the oven without realizing that there were plastic bowls inside. The bowls melted and caught fire before the resident shut the oven off. A broken water pipe in the wall of a third story apartment prompted a call to the fire department at 6:13 p.m. Crews shut down the water, but not before it leaked into the apartments below.
March 7: Crews were called to investigate a column of smoke in the 1400 block of South Garry Road at 2:12 p.m. Crews found a burning pile of debris with several other piles prepped and ready for burning. The hired disposal crew said they did not know that burning yard waste was illegal. The homeowner put the fire out.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 352 calls the week of March 1-7, including 289 calls for emergency medical services. Additional calls included 14 car crashes, a homeowner who severed his natural gas meter in half when he hit it with a trailer and a call for an illegal burn barrel fire that turned out to involve a person armed with a knife, which resulted in a call to the sheriff’s office.
———
Nina Culver can be reached at nculver47@gmail.com