Fire damages home day before renters were to move in

If Melissa Soland’s home had to burn down, Friday was the day for it. Soland and her son Taegen were in the middle of moving in at about 5:50 p.m. when she saw the smoke and flames coming from their home on the 2100 block of West Sinto Avenue. “I said ‘The house is on fire,’” Soland said. “‘I’m not joking.’” The two sprinted from the house, leaving behind the few belongings they had already moved in: cleaning equipment, a few towels, but nothing valuable or personal. Battalion Chief Joel Fielder with the Spokane Fire Department said the house is salvageable. The fire appeared to start on the first floor of the house and rise, burning the kitchen area and the back porch, he said. No one was injured in the blaze, but firefighters struggled with the heat, he said.