Fire kills six pets in home
Extensive damage to rental home displaces family of three
A fire that broke out in a Spokane home killed four dogs and two cats and displaced the two adults and child who lived there.
The Spokane Fire Department responded to the fire at 1914 E. Hartson Ave. about 10:42 a.m. Friday, according to Battalion Chief Steve Sabo.
Damage to the house and contents was extensive, and the loss is estimated at $60,000, Sabo said. The fire damaged structural components, from the basement to the roof, and the house will be uninhabitable until repairs can be made to the structure and its electrical wiring.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The first crews on the scene reported flames and heavy smoke coming from a side window on the main floor of a single-family, wood-frame home. Flames were spreading up the home’s exterior and into the attic through vents. John Gonzalez, a resident of the home, arrived shortly after the fire was reported and told firefighters no one was in the house.
The fire on the main floor was quickly located in a bathroom and knocked down, Sabo said, but crews had to use chain saws to open up the roof and siding, as well as interior walls and ceilings, to extinguish the attic fire.
The department dispatched 32 firefighters to the scene. None was injured.
A disaster team from the American Red Cross is providing shelter and food for the displaced family.