Resident, dog injured in South Hill apartment fire

A resident and a dog were injured Friday night in a South Hill apartment fire.

Multiple fire crews were dispatched at about 11:40 p.m. to the fire on the 3100 block of Mount Vernon Street, according to a Spokane Fire Department news release.

Firefighters encountered smoke emanating from one of the units on an upper floor. The lone resident of the apartment that caught fire evacuated, but their medium-sized dog was trapped inside, the release said.

Firefighters entered the unit and rescued the dog, which was not breathing and had severe burns, firefighters said. Crews resuscitated the dog, and the animal was taken to a veterinary clinic for emergency care.

The resident inhaled smoke from the fire, was treated by paramedics and taken to a local hospital. The release said the resident was in stable condition at the time of admission.

During the rescue, a firefighter was bitten by a dog and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Firefighters contained and extinguished the fire within 15 minutes. Because of hoarder conditions inside the apartment, firefighters were on scene for hours making sure no fire remained, the department said.

The fire’s cause is under investigation.

The release said hoarding conditions can significantly impede firefighting efforts to rescue victims and suppress fires.