Spokane Valley Fire roundup: Crews take out drywall to put out fire behind bathroom heater
A bathroom fire was quickly put out shortly after it was reported in a unit in an apartment building at Houk Road and Mansfield Avenue at 7:19 p.m. on Jan. 25.
When crews arrived, they found smoke in two units. An investigation determined that there was heat and smoke coming from behind a floorboard heater in a bathroom. Firefighters removed drywall to expose a smoldering fire in the wall, which was put out, said department spokeswoman Julie Happy.
No one was injured and residents were able to safely evacuate. The fire did not spread to adjacent units.
Other calls from Jan. 24-30
Jan. 24: An illegal fire was reported in the 2400 block of North Park Road at 11:35 a.m. The homeowner was burning a large pile of tree branches and leaves. They were told that the fire was illegal and must be put out. A two-car crash was reported at Sullivan Road and Indiana Avenue at 12:29 p.m. No one was injured and the cars were removed.
Jan. 27: A fire was reported in the 9200 block of East Appleway Boulevard at 7:13 a.m. It was determined to be a campfire at a homeless camp, which was put out. A commercial fire alarm sounded in the 8500 block of East Trent Avenue at 9:51 a.m. However, the security guard on site said no alarm had sounded and no issues were found. A water leak was reported in the 10200 block of East 20th Avenue at 11:30 a.m. The leak was traced to a hole in the ice maker water line in the basement. A firefighter used pliers to shut off the water.
Jan. 29: An alarm sounded in the 200 block of South McKinnon Road at 6:28 a.m. When crews arrived, they could hear water flowing inside the building and cut the chain on the security gate to get inside. It was determined that a fire system pipe had broken. The water was turned off.
Jan. 30: A vehicle hit a light pole at the intersection of Sprague Avenue and Fancher Road at 1:45 a.m. No one was injured. An illegal fire was reported in the 5400 block of East Fourth Avenue at 7:46 p.m. A burning garbage pile was put out. A resident in the 8700 block of East Alki Avenue reported a CO alarm sounding in her basement. No CO was detected and it was determined that the device was malfunctioning. A crash involving a car and bicyclist was reported in the 11500 block of East Valleyway Avenue at 8:33 p.m.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 415 calls the week of Jan. 24-30, including 362 calls for emergency medical services. Additional responses included 12 car crashes, a fire alarm set off by construction, a fire alarm set off by concrete grinding, a dryer fire extinguished by the resident and a report of smoke that turned out to be coming from a chimney.