Fire burns shop in Spokane Valley

A van, shop, boat and hot tub burned Thursday morning in the 9500 block of East Seventh Avenue in Spokane Valley. The boat and van were parked under a carport next to a detached garage. Spokane Valley Fire Department Assistant Fire Marshal Bill Clifford said the homeowner started up the van and it began backfiring. “He got out of it to see what was going on,” Clifford said. “As he lifted the hood on the van, there was already fire underneath the hood.” The conversion van included a bed and small kitchen. There were two propane tanks to fuel the stove and hot water heater, Clifford said. The tanks exploded and the fire spread quickly. A nearby hot tub caught fire and there was some damage to the man’s mobile home, Clifford said. As of Thursday afternoon investigators were still on scene and no estimate of damage was available.