Fire starts in van, quickly spreads

A Spokane Valley fire that started in a van quickly spread Thursday morning, destroying the van, a carport, a boat and a hot tub and damaging a detached garage and mobile home.

The boat and van were parked under a carport next to a detached garage at 9516 E. Seventh Ave.

Spokane Valley Fire Department Assistant Fire Marshal Bill Clifford said the homeowner started 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 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.