Children playing with fire in park among week’s fire calls

Emergency personnel at the Spokane Valley Fire Department handled 197 emergencies reported between Aug. 16 and Wednesday.

Six were reports of structure fires, department spokesman Bill Clifford said. At 7:30 p.m., Aug. 16, firefighters woke a resident whose home had filled with smoke from an unattended pot of beans, Clifford said.

The next day, crews put out a small fire at a park near 17th Avenue and Bannen Road where they received a report that children playing with fire had ignited a plastic container near the pool, Clifford said.

Two vehicle fires were reported. In one instance a barbecue placed too close to a camper caught it on fire, he said.

Firefighters also were dispatched to seven brush fires, though many were illegal or unattended campfires. Clifford said a ban on campfires that aren’t contained in chimeneas or similar devices will remain in effect until Sept. 13.

Other calls included 147 medical emergencies, 12 fire alarms, one hazardous materials call and two service calls.

An extrication was performed just after 6 p.m., Monday, following a crash at Liberty Lake Road and the eastbound exit ramp of Interstate 90, Clifford said.

Firefighters found a gray Toyota Corolla on its top and a white Buick Regal in the southwest corner of the intersection following what was believed to be a side-impact collision that ended up blocking the road, he said. Four people were taken to the hospital with moderate to severe injuries.

Including the rollover, there were 20 vehicle accidents during the week that sent six people to area hospitals, Clifford said.