Blaze destroys two-story structure

A two-story barn in the Evergreen area of Spokane Valley burned to the ground Thursday morning, taking a motor home and a pickup cab with it.

The barn burst into flames shortly before 9:30 a.m. at 14101 E. Eighth Ave. Within 15 minutes, all that remained were a few charred studs barely visible through an orange fog of flame more than 20 feet high.

No one was injured, and no one was home when the fire started, firefighters said.

Neighbors, who noticed flames rolling out the sides of the building, called for help.

“You could feel the heat,” neighbor Shirley House said.

“My son hosed down my wood fence. We’re lucky the wind didn’t change direction.”

Neighbors said the barn and a concrete-block house in front of it were rental properties located beside some new home construction.

A woman and child moved into the concrete block home about a month ago.

Property owner Larry Sloan visited the fire scene briefly but left abruptly. There was nothing to save.

“Those new houses next door there would have liked to seen it burn down,” neighbor Darrel Broadman said. “It was an eyesore.”

Hours after the fire, investigators didn’t know the cause, said Dave Lobdell, Spokane Valley Fire deputy chief.

A few firefighters stayed behind to use a long pike to pull down what little was left of the building.