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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Moving boxes catch fire, cause $25,000 in damage to home

If you find yourself moving into a new residence any time soon, the Spokane Valley Fire Department has a safety message for you: Don’t put cardboard moving boxes on top of the kitchen stove.

That lesson was learned the hard way by people moving into a home in the 1400 block of South Glenn Road on Wednesday. “The stove had burner knobs on the front,” said Assistant Fire Marshal Bill Clifford. “They accidentally turned one of the burners on high.”

One man grabbed a garden hose and worked to put the fire out while firefighters were responding, Clifford said. The fire caused about $25,000 in damage. “Luckily they were home at the time and the fire was discovered early,” he said.

Clifford said his department was lucky during the recent snowstorm and did not have to respond to many accidents. “We’ll see what happens with the next storm,” he said.

By the numbers: Crews responded to 242 calls, including 190 emergency medical services calls. That included 19 minor car accidents, two downed power lines, two illegal fires and a woman accidentally locked inside her bedroom. Firefighters climbed in a window to help free the women.