Engine crew douses car fire at Valleyfest parade
The annual Valleyfest parade on Sept. 20 had a little extra excitement for the Spokane Valley Fire Department honor guard and a fire engine crew participating in the event.
The firefighters spotted people pushing a smoking MG convertible into a parking lot at Pines Road and Sprague Avenue around 8 p.m., said Assistant Fire Marshal Bill Clifford. Spokane Valley City Councilman Ben Wick had been riding in the car in the parade when it began to smoke.
Firefighters opened the hood just enough to stick in the nozzle of a fire extinguisher and put out the fire, Clifford said. “The paint on the hood was bubbling,” he said.
Crews also responded to what could have been a flammable event Sunday. A family celebrating a wedding in the 5000 block of North McDonald Road released several balloons with lit candles attached to them.
“Those are illegal in Washington state,” said Clifford. “It’s reckless to let them go. They could be charged with reckless burning.”
The problem is that there is no way to know where the balloons would land. “It’s an open flame and it could start a fire,” Clifford said. One of the balloons got tangled in a nearby power line, Clifford said.
Other events reported during the two weeks of Sept. 19-Oct. 2:
Sept. 19 – An individual reported seeing two juveniles setting pine needles on fire in the 8800 block of East Wellesley Avenue. The boys ran to a nearby home, where they were contacted by a fire investigator.
Sept. 21 – Crews performed a vehicle extrication in the 2800 block of North Barker Road after a crash trapped the occupants of a car. Two people received serious but not life-threatening injuries.
Wednesday: Filters saturated with varnish spontaneously combusted in an outdoor area at Huntwood Industries at 2:42 p.m. A broken natural gas pipeline was reported at 2218 N. Harvard Road. The road was closed for several hours while Avista crews repaired the leak.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 486 calls for service, including 407 for emergency medical services. Responses included eight downed power lines and 36 car accidents.