Fire station burns
Spokane Valley Fire Department firefighter Joe Rees, paramedic/engineer Dave Fegele and Capt. Chris Neumann put out a kitchen fire caused by a faulty dishwasher inside Station 6 on Monday. The photo is courtesy of the Spokane Valley Fire Department.
Spokane Valley Fire crews didn't have far to go to put out a fire just after 11 p.m. Monday. It was in their own kitchen.
A crew from Station 6 on the west end of Spokane Valley near Sprague and I-90 was returning to the station from a call when they noticed a smoke alarm beeping, said assistant fire marshal Bill Clifford. Black smoke and flames were spotted in the station's kitchen and the crew put it out with a fire extinguisher. An additional crew was called in to help make sure the fire was out.
The fire, which caused $5,000 in damage, was traced to a malfunctioning dishwasher that had apparently been subject to a recall. The dishwasher was between five and 10 years old. "It started right in the control panel," said Clifford.
The fire burnt the front of the washer and had spread to the countertop before it was discovered. Cleaning crews spent the day Tuesday cleaning carpets and furniture so crews could move back into the station. "They've been responding from Station 1 all day," Clifford said.
