Fire Roundup: Facility for disabled adults a total loss after fire
A duplex that was a supported living facility for adults with intellectual disabilities appears to be a total loss after an attic fire on June 30.
The cause of the fire was traced to faulty electrical wiring, said Spokane Valley Fire Department spokeswoman Melanie Rose.
“There had been a smoldering fire up there for some time in the electrical wiring that was in the attic,” Rose said.
The fire finally ignited the afternoon of June 30, and the five residents and four caregivers inside were able to evacuate safely. Damage to the duplex is estimated at $201,000.
Other calls from
June 20 to July 3
June 20: An elderly woman called for help in the 800 block of South Park Road believing that one of her kittens was in her HVAC system. She had put several holes in her walls looking for the kitten. The wayward feline was found under the dishwasher.
June 21: A truck camper mounted on blocks was reported on fire in the 6000 block of North Malvern Road. The camper was apparently being used as storage, and the flames were spotted by passers-by. The camper was destroyed.
June 23: Several portable tiolets burned near the University High School baseball field and the bleachers were singed. The fire is considered suspicious.
June 26: Fireworks started a grass fire in the 20400 block of East 11th Avenue. Several neighbors were using shovels to put out the fire when crews arrived.
June 27: A homeowner was illegally burning yard debris in the 19000 block of East Sprague Avenue. A tire blowout on a truck driving on Interstate 90 started a small grass fire next to the eastbound Liberty Lake exit.
June 28: A fire was reported under the deck of a double-wide mobile home at 17203 E. Third Avenue. The fire was put out before it spread to the home. Three residents and a cat escaped safely. The fire was caused by faulty electrical wiring.
June 29: A small brush fire was reported on the hill behind 13900 E. Belle Terre Ave.
June 30: A crew returned to the site of a brush fire behind 13900 E. Belle Terre Ave. and found six smoldering hot spots that were extinguished.
July 1: Swift water rescue crews responded to Boulder Beach on the Spokane River after a caller reported seeing a man flailing in the water. Nothing was found after an extended search.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 689 calls from June 20 to Sunday, including 528 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included 60 car crashes, four children locked inside cars, two dogs locked inside cars and a child with her knee stuck in playground equipment at Valley Mission Park (she was freed unharmed).