Spokane Valley sees uptick in illegal fires

It may have rained over the weekend and camp fire rules have been relaxed in developed campgrounds, but a burn ban is still in effect for much of Spokane County.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department responded to several illegal fires recently, including a reported trash fire in the 14500 block of East Wellesley Avenue.

“We did see smoke as we arrived at the location,” said fire department spokeswoman Melanie Rose.

However, when crews reached the area of the fire they found the homeowner covering it up with a backhoe. He said he was burning weeds, but such a large area had been covered with fresh dirt that crews couldn’t tell what had been burning, Rose said.

There were several outbuildings under construction at the site. Even when a burn ban is not in place it is still illegal to burn trash, yard debris or construction debris, she said.

“The homeowner was completely unaware of any rules regarding burning of any kind, so we informed him of the rules,” Rose said.

Other calls from Aug. 31-Sept. 6

Sept. 1: The odor of natural gas was reported at the Spokane Valley Police Precinct at 12710 E. Sprague Ave. The smell had dissipated by the time crews arrived and monitors did not detect any natural gas. Avista responded to check equipment.

Sept. 2: A smoking electrical outlet was reported in a duplex in the 15100 block of East 12th Avenue.

Sept. 3: A small kitchen fire was reported in an apartment at 3711 S. Highway 27. Damage was minimal.

Sept. 4: A backyard fire was reported in the 1300 block of South Avalon Court.

Sept. 5: Flames from a small grass fire were reported in the 5300 block of North Chase Road around 1:40 a.m.

By the numbers: Crews responded to 299 calls from Aug. 31 to Sept. 6, including 232 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included 17 car accidents, water bubbling up from a manhole in the street, a 73-year-old man in a wheelchair struck by a slow-moving car and a man trapped inside his bathroom by a broken doorknob.