Man smells smoke from house, calls 911

A passerbyer who smelled smoke and called 911 may have helped avert a larger fire in a Spokane Valley subdivision this evening. An exhaust fan apparently overheated in the bathroom of a home in the 1100 block of South Moen Avenue while the home’s owners were visiting neighbors around 5 p.m., according to the Spokane Valley Fire Department. Plastic in the fan had melted and was dripping down and scorching the floor. The man who smelled the smoke remained on the scene, using the flashlight in his cell phone to wave fire trucks to the right house. The homeowners heard the commotion and came outside to see what was happening. Three dogs were inside the house, but they weren’t injured, said Battalion Chief Rich Llewellyn. The fire department recommends that people turn off fans when they leave the house, Llewellyn said.