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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Homeless family gets assistance from Valley fire crews

A group of Spokane Valley firefighters went the extra mile in helping a homeless family on the first day of school last week.

A crew was called to Terrace View Park at 7:45 a.m. on Sept. 3 to assist a family whose 2-year-old had accidentally gotten locked in the car. The family, which also included older school-age children, was living in the car, said Fire Marshal Kevin Miller.

The crew unlocked the car, but then the car wouldn’t start. Since it was close to shift change at 8 a.m., they were able to get some extra help. “One firefighter just arriving to work got his private vehicle and gave it a jump start,” said Miller.

The Spokane Valley Firefighters Benevolent Association, which is funded by firefighters and an annual wine tasting fundraiser, provides a small amount of cash for each engine crew to carry at all times in case they encounter someone in need. That morning the engine crew who assisted the family gave them the money they carried to help with expenses, Miller said.

Other calls Aug. 28 to Sept. 10

Aug. 28: An HVAC unit at Bowdish Middle School overheated and filled the library with smoke. The building was not damaged.

Aug. 30: A ceiling fan caught fire at the Granite Point Apartments at 12020 E. Marietta Ave. The fire was contained to the fan and adjoining wall.

Smoking in bed caused a mattress fire in the 8100 block of East Appleway Boulevard.

Sept. 1: An HVAC unit seized up and filled the building at 1410 N. Mullen Road with smoke.

Sept. 4: The load inside a Waste Management truck caught fire in the 6900 block of East Riverside Avenue. The driver dumped the load and firefighters put out the flames.

A fire was reported at Kaiser Aluminum and firefighters found a basement filled with smoke. The smoke was traced to an overheating electrical motor in the electrical room.

Sept. 7: A fire was reported in the rafters at Kaiser Aluminum, above the fire sprinkler system. The cause is under investigation.

Hay in the barn of an animal rescue in the 5500 block of North Lynden Road caught fire. The cause is thought to be spontaneous combustion after the hay had gotten wet.

Sept. 8: Workers doing grinding and cutting work as they tore down a barn at 32nd Avenue and Sullivan Road started a fire that spread to more than 2 acres in the wind. Burning embers also started several spot fires on the hillside nearby.

Sept. 9: An illegal burn barrel fire was reported in the 5500 block of North Lynden Road. Firefighters were told that the people there were attempting to cremate a rabbit in the burn barrel.

By the numbers: Fire crews responded to 545 calls in the two weeks from Aug. 28 to Sept. 10, 456 of which were for emergency medical services. The calls also included a barbecue grease fire, two downed power lines, five small grass fires, a car fire and 28 car accidents.