Fire Roundup: Arson fires continue in Spokane Valley
The Spokane Valley Fire Department is still reporting a problem with trash bins being deliberately set on fire in the Spokane Valley area.
Two fires were reported only an hour apart last week. Four arson incidents involving trash bins and portable toilets were reported in the early morning hours of Jan. 29.
Just before midnight Feb. 10 a fire was reported at Broadway Elementary School, 11016 E. Broadway Ave. The trash bin was behind the building, and the fire did not spread, said department spokeswoman Melanie Rose.
Another fire was reported at 2:30 a.m. Feb. 11 at 7505 E. Sprague Ave.
“We’re not sure if these two were related,” Rose said. “What relates them is they were both dumpster fires, and they were two and a half hours apart.”
Anyone with information about any of the incidents is asked to call the department at (509) 928-1700. People who find evidence that someone tried to start a fire that didn’t burn are asked to report it.
Other calls
from Feb. 8-14
Feb. 10: A caller reported seeing flames in a house in the 17700 block of East Wellesley Avenue around 5 p.m. Firefighters could see no smoke when they arrived. The flames turned out to be the reflection of a sunset in the windows.
Feb. 11: A fire was reported in a hydraulic motor on a semitractor-trailer carrying new cars at CarMax, 7814 E. Sprague Ave. The truck driver was able to put the fire out.
Feb. 12: A Toyota Prius was reported on fire along Interstate 90 near the Broadway Avenue exit. The driver reported hearing odd noises from the engine before smoke appeared.
Feb. 14: An electric heater caught on fire in the 4100 block of South Adams Road. A smoke detector sounded and a resident put out the fire with water. The heater was melted.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 313 calls from Feb. 8-14, including 252 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included 19 car crashes, a low hanging telephone wire that was snagged by a delivery truck and a leaking 5-gallon propane tank.