Natural gas stove caused kitchen fire
Fire investigators believe a new natural gas stove that caught fire recently in Liberty Lake was either faulty or improperly installed.
Firefighters were called to the 23000 block of East Colleen Court the evening of March 30. The homeowner had turned the oven on and put in a casserole before he noticed flames coming from underneath the stove, said Melanie Rose, Spokane Valley Fire Department spokeswoman.
He was able to safely get his child and leave the home, Rose said. A Liberty Lake police officer was the first to arrive and tried unsuccessfully to put the flames out with a fire extinguisher.
The flames spread to the kitchen cabinets before firefighters were able to put the fire out, Rose said. Damage is estimated at $30,000.
Crews were called to the same residence twice in one day for fires recently. The first call to the home in the 11400 block of East 18th Avenue came in at 4 a.m. on April 3. A woman awoke to the smell of smoke and firefighters found a smoldering fire caused by an electrical issue in the recessed lighting in the bathroom, Rose said. The fire was put out, and crews left after Avista Utilities shut off electricity to the home.
A neighbor called the fire department again just before 10 a.m. to report smoke coming from the attic.
The 1950s-era home still had its original electrical wiring. Neither the fire department nor Avista realized there was a secondary, back-up electrical system in the home that was still energized, Rose said.
“The circuit still continued to overheat and several hours later, it started smoldering again,” she said.
Crews were able to completely extinguish the fire.
Other calls from March 21 to April 3:
March 26: An unattended fire of yard debris and tree stumps was located on a vacant lot in the 25000 block of East Neyland Avenue. Burning yard debris is illegal, and the fire was put out.
March 27: Three auto accidents were reported in quick succession on Interstate 90 beginning just after 5:30 p.m. after a storm coated the freeway with hail. No one was injured in the accidents, which occurred between Sullivan and Evergreen roads.
March 28: A car fire was reported in the parking lot of the Spokane Valley Wal-Mart on Broadway Avenue. The car was a total loss but the fire did not spread.
March 30: A cyclist was hit by a car in the 8500 block of East Upriver Drive at 8 a.m. There were no serious injuries.
April 1: A couple kayaking down the Spokane River were rescued after their kayaks flipped in the swift, icy water near Sullivan Road. The couple, who had minor injuries and slight hypothermia, were able to get out of the river and were helped up the steep banks by the technical rescue team. Their kayaks were recovered.
April 3: Several bushes were set on fire behind the Mr. Hot Shine Car Wash at 423 N. Pines Road just before midnight. A dozen shrubs were destroyed and the sprinkler system was damaged. Investigators believe the fire was set deliberately. A man was hit by a car in a hit-and-run in the 12300 block of East Dove Circle at 3:30 a.m. The pedestrian was taken to the hospital.
By the numbers: Firefighters responded to 626 calls in the two weeks between March 21 and April 3, including 509 calls for emergency medical services. The responses also included 39 auto accidents, 13 illegal yard waste fires, a woman locked out of her house and five people trapped in an elevator at the Valley YMCA.