Broadway Inn Suites reports small fires
Two suspicious fires were reported in Spokane Valley during the weeks of May 15 to 28 and are under investigation.
Firefighters were called to the Broadway Inn Suites the afternoon of May 24 when the property manager reported two fires. Both exterior fires were small; one involved an ornamental shrub, said Spokane Valley Fire Department Assistant Fire Marshal Bill Clifford.
Another suspicious fire was reported at a home in the 15200 block of East Broadway Avenue on May 27. “It was obviously intentionally set in the home,” Clifford said. The damage was minor, Clifford said.
Other calls from May 15-28
May 15: A fire that started in the engine compartment of a conversion van quickly spread, consuming a boat and a carport at 9516 E. Seventh Ave. A hot tub was also damaged. Two propane tanks in the van exploded, which helped spread the flames.
May 16: A man working at California Closets in the Spokane Valley Industrial Park on Sullivan Road got his hand caught in machinery, losing three fingers. Firefighters were able to recover one of the fingers and send it to the hospital with the man.
May 17: A dryer fire was reported in the 7400 block of East Ninth. Damage was limited.
May 20: A small electrical fire was reported in the 11600 block of East 12th Avenue. A taxi that exited the freeway at Broadway caught on fire.
May 21: Mako the arson dog was called to investigate a suspicious fire at 1617 S. Lyons Road in Airway Heights. He alerted on three different areas, indicating the presence of an accelerant.
May 23: Firefighters responded to an auto vs. pedestrian accident at Sprague Avenue and Vista Road involving a police officer. The 15-year-old boy hit was in and out of consciousness and was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center after a rapid trauma assessment.
May 24: A brush fire was reported in the 4300 block of South Terra Verde Drive.
May 25: An illegal bonfire was reported in the 17600 block of East Broadway.
May 26: People having a barbecue in Mirabeau Park apparently threw their barbecue, hot coals and all, into a trash can. The can caught on fire.
May 27: Two brush fires were reported in the area of 15900 E. Saltese Road. A car with two men inside was seen leaving the area.
By the numbers: Firefighters responded to 502 calls from May 15-28, including 407 emergency medical services calls. Additional calls included two illegal trash fires, two vehicle fires, a woman locked inside a self storage facility, a child locked inside a car and 42 car accidents.