In brief: Large garage burns near Liberty Lake

Spokane County Fire District 8 responded to a garage fire early Tuesday morning after a barking dog alerted neighbors of the blaze.

At about 5 p.m., firefighters received a call that a 2,500-square-foot garage along Red Feather Lane near Liberty Lake was on fire after neighbors saw the fire out their bedroom window, Division Chief Chris Wyrobek said. The neighbors said their panicked dog had woken them.

The homeowners were asleep, unaware their garage was on fire, Wyrobek said, so there’s no way to know when the fire started.

By the time firefighters arrived, the garage was already fully engulfed, Wyrobek said, and firefighters could do nothing but prevent the blaze from spreading to other buildings.

No one was injured in the fire and foul play is not suspected, Wyrobek said.

Bonners Ferry man finds block of TNT

A Bonners Ferry resident made an explosive discovery in a box of household items purchased over the weekend, police said.

While examining the box on Saturday, the homeowner discovered a 1-pound block of military-grade TNT and 30 blasting caps used in detonation, according to Bonners Ferry police. A 911 call was immediately made, and the explosives were placed on a front lawn while surrounding homes were evacuated. The Spokane bomb squad seized the explosives and handled disposal, according to police.

Authorities think the explosives may have belonged to the Army Corps of Engineers. No arrests have been reported in the incident.

Bonners Ferry police urge anyone who comes in contact with potentially dangerous material to call 911 immediately and not attempt to dispose of the material themselves.

YWCA wins grant to fight domestic abuse

YWCA of Spokane landed a $300,000, three-year federal grant that will be used to support victims of domestic violence, the agency said Tuesday.

The grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women will help provide transitional housing and support services for 42 women and their children, the YWCA said in a news release.

The program provides temporary housing for women escaping domestic violence. It also provides clients with employment services, legal representation, education and counseling, the release said.

For more information, visit ywcaspokane.org.

BBB issues warning about ticket scam

The Better Business Bureau is cautioning local residents to be wary of calls or letters from a company identifying itself as U.S. Airlines.

Spokane residents have been receiving phone solicitations, which indicate they have “qualified for an award of two round-trip airline tickets” and “two nights at any one of over 1,000 Marriott Hotel locations,” worth up to $1,398.

According to the BBB, residents are led to believe the solicitations are from US Airways, the Phoenix-based airline, and not from U.S. Airlines, a nonexistent airline company. A call to the 855 number provided on the solicitation directed consumers to sign up for an upcoming 90-minute seminar held at a Spokane Valley hotel.

BBB officials warn that such seminars often use high-pressure sales tactics and target an older demographic.