Fire roundup: Chicken coop blazes a winter regularity
The Spokane Valley Fire Department received an unusual call for this time of year on Dec. 15 – a brush fire in the Dishman Hills Area.
The fire was reported near Camp Caro, said assistant fire marshal Bill Clifford. “It looks like probably an escaped camp fire that didn’t get extinguished all the way,” he said. “It looks like it had been burning for some time. The rocks there were quite hot.”
A far more common type of fire for this time of year was reported on Dec. 12: a chicken coop fire in the 5100 block of North Eastland Drive. The fire was caused by a heat lamp, Clifford said. “I bet we see two to six heat lamp (fires) a year and sometimes more than that,” he said. “What do you have in a chicken coop? Straw or hay or something like that.”
Other recent calls:
Dec. 14: An SUV on fire was reported in the 10400 block of East Augusta Lane, causing about $2,500 in damage. The cause is under investigation.
Dec. 16: An unconscious man was reported in the middle of the road in the 200 block of South Havana Street. The 45-year-old man had been hit by a car and had two broken legs.
Dec. 17: Swift water rescue crews responded to a call of a body in the Spokane River near the Maringo Trailhead near Donkey Island. The man was removed from the water.
Dec. 18: A dryer fire was reported at Rosepoint Assisted Living at 13013 E. Mission Ave. Damage was minor.
A 17-year-old girl was hit by a car while crossing Sprague Avenue in the East 10400 block.
Dec. 20: A child and adult crossing Sprague in the East 13200 block were hit by a car and sustained minor injuries.
Dec. 21: Crews were called to a Union Pacific train locomotive spraying diesel fuel in the area of 300 N. Park Road. Less than a half gallon was spilled in a small area.
By the numbers: Firefighters responded to 573 calls in the two weeks ending Christmas Day. The calls included four chimney fires, three illegal trash/yard waste fires, four oven/stovetop fires, four dryer fires, 435 emergency medical services calls and 61 car accidents. There was a surge in car accidents reported on Dec. 20 during the snowfall.