Spokane Valley Fire roundup: County lifts burn ban but certain restrictions still apply
Good news for families itching to sit around a backyard campfire and have some s’mores as the fall weather sets it – the burning restrictions that covered Spokane County for the summer and early fall have been lifted.
Recent cooler and wet weather prompted the lifting of the burn ban. The action applies to all cities and unincorporated areas of Spokane County served by the Spokane Valley Fire Department, including Spokane Valley, Millwood, Liberty Lake and Newman Lake.
Residents must still burn clean, dry firewood in their campfires, which cannot be larger than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet high. Burning yard debris and trash is illegal year-round.
Valley Fire responded to numerous calls over the summer regarding people violating the burn ban. Most of the violations, however, were unintentional due to lack of knowledge about the ban, and the homeowners quickly put the fires out when asked.
Other calls Oct. 4-10
Oct. 4: A homeowner reported a strong electrical odor in a home in the 4600 block of South Lapwai Lane at 3:40 p.m. Crews could smell a slight odor near the front door, but it was going away. The walls and ceiling were checked for heat and none was found.
Oct. 5: A vehicle fire was reported at Barker Road and Second Avenue at 5:25 p.m. Crews found a GMC pickup with flames coming from under the hood. The fire was put out, and the truck was moved to the side of the road.
Oct. 6: A backyard fire was reported in the 5300 block of North Mayhew Road at 10:53 a.m. The fire was spreading to a pine tree and a fence when crews arrived and vinyl siding was melting on one side of the house. The fire was put out before it spread to the home. A car ran over a fire hose while crews were fighting the fire, damaging it. The homeowner was provided with smoke alarms for his home.
Oct. 8: Crews were summoned by a water flow alarm sounding at Lowe’s at 1:20 a.m. Crews found water flowing out the front door. The sprinkler system was partially shut down to stop the water.
Oct. 9: A high-speed crash involving a car hitting a tree was reported in the area of Dalke Avenue and Malvern Road at 2:06 a.m. The driver was reported to be unconscious and trapped inside the car. Crews cut the driver out of the car, and he was taken to a local hospital for treatment of traumatic injuries. A caller reported at 4:16 p.m. a woman had fallen 8 feet into a cellar onto a concrete floor in the area of Bannen Lane and Wellesley Avenue. The technical rescue team was called and lifted the woman from the cellar. An illegal fire was reported in the 1300 block of South Dartmouth Road at 5:34 p.m. The fire was put out.
Oct. 10: Residents in a home in the 18100 block of East Selkirk Estates Court reported smoke of unknown origin filling the home at 10:51 a.m. No smoke was seen when crews arrived. It was determined the source of the problem was the furnace filter. A dryer fire was reported in an apartment building at Cherry Lane and Mansfield Avenue at 8:39 p.m. The resident reported the apartment was filled with smoke but was reluctant to evacuate. The fire was put out.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 469 calls the week of Oct. 4-10, including 388 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included 24 car crashes, a dumpster fire, a fire alarm set off by burnt toast and a person who was supposed to be dogsitting who was locked out of a home.