Residents breaking burn ban despite fire danger
Even though the fire danger in Spokane County increased from high to very high this week, people still are having recreational fires in their backyards in violation of the burn ban.
Spokane Valley Fire Department spokeswoman Melanie Rose said crews have been responding to multiple calls to investigate smoke. Invariably, crews arrive to see someone having a backyard campfire and the residents always say they are unaware of the burn ban that has been in place for weeks, Rose said.
Repeated violations of the burn ban can lead to fines.
Calls from Aug. 8-21
Aug. 8: A brush fire was reported at Idaho Road and Trent Avenue just before noon. The fire was started by a spark from farming equipment. The fire burned about 19 acres in Spokane and Kootenai counties. About $5,000 worth of hay was lost.
Crews broke out a car window to rescue a baby locked inside a vehicle in the 5600 block of East Sprague Avenue. The baby was unharmed.
Aug. 10: An overheated crematorium was reported at Hennessey Funeral Home at 1315 N. Pines Road. It was shut down.
Aug. 11: A small accidental fire damaged a detached garage in the 9400 block of East Sprague.
Three children locked inside a car in the 1300 block of North Farr Road were rescued by firefighters who broke a window to get inside the vehicle. The children were unharmed.
Aug. 14: An oven fire was reported in the 8000 block of East Cataldo Avenue. A passerby pulled the smoking stove out of the building before firefighters arrived.
Aug. 15: A bystander with a fire extinguisher put out a car fire in the 9100 block of East Appleway Boulevard. The driver had pulled over after she noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment.
Aug. 16: A cooking fire was reported in the kitchen at Valley Hospital at 12606 E. Mission Ave. just after 10 a.m. The kitchen staff put the fire out before crews arrived.
Aug. 18: A barbecue grease fire was reported in the 2900 block of North Thor Road. The homeowner reported being unable to shut off the propane because the knobs had melted.
Aug. 20: A ceiling fan malfunctioned and caused a small fire in the 1700 block of South Blake Road.
A semi loaded with hay hit a car about 10 a.m. in the 7500 block of East Sprague.
Aug. 21: An unattended campfire spread to a nearby tree in the 3700 block of South Zephyr Road about 9 a.m. Later in the afternoon, crews were sent to assist other agencies with the wildfire on Beacon Hill and the fire near Freeman.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 658 calls from Aug. 8-21, including 512 responses for emergency medical services. Other responses included a house fire in the city of Spokane, a resident cooking bacon on an outdoor barbecue and a person locked inside a bedroom after the door knob broke.