South Hill fire burns garage, shed

A two-alarm house fire on the South Hill on Saturday destroyed a garage and left a firefighter with a minor injury.

About 2:30 p.m., Spokane firefighters responded to a call that a detached garage at 3132 S. Manito Blvd. had caught fire when the homeowner accidentally spilled gasoline while working on his car, Battalion Chief Steve Sabo said. The man’s torch ignited the gasoline, and the fire destroyed the garage.

When firefighters arrived, the fire had spread to a nearby shed and was threatening the house and a neighbor’s garage, Sabo said. The homeowner had been trapped inside the garage but escaped with only singed hair.

A firefighter battling the blaze received a deep laceration on one hand, Sabo said. Though it did not appear tendons had been cut, he was taken to the hospital.

Sabo said he had never elevated a house fire situation to a two-alarm response before, but did when the house appeared in danger of catching fire. Four units were dismissed shortly after arriving, when firefighters contained the fire to the garage and shed, he said.