Overnight fire prompts evacaution at apartments near Gonzaga

An early morning fire touched off in the laundry room of a four-story apartment building near Gonzaga University forced residents to the street as firefighters battled the blaze. Four engines arrived at the Hamilton House apartments at 902 E. Boone Ave. around midnight Thursday and found the laundry room alight, the Spokane Fire Department reported. A nearby storage room and office also burned before the flames could be doused. Apartment residents evacuated the building and were sheltered in Spokane Transit Authority buses for three hours while firefighters mopped up the scene. No injuries were reported. Damages are estimated around $20,000. The Fire Department is investigating the blaze as suspicious, according to a news release.