Spokane Valley Fire roundup: Homeowner forgets about pot of food that burns, damaging kitchen
Fire calls have continued to come in to the Spokane Valley Fire Department at a steady pace, though the ones reported last week were less damaging than other recent fires.
A small kitchen fire was reported in the 5000 block of North Vista Grande at 2:20 p.m. June 3. Crews arrived to find smoke in the kitchen and in a room above the garage. The fire was quickly put out and damage was limited to the kitchen, said department spokeswoman Julie Happy.
The homeowner reported having something on the stove and forgetting about it. A pan was full of burnt food.
A resident in the 6700 block of East Fourth Avenue called 911 at 4:14 a.m. June 7 to report that a fire in the fireplace was spreading. Firefighters found flames spreading from an older brick-oven style fireplace on the deck of a home.
Crews were able to put the flames out quickly and damage was limited to the exterior of the home. Everyone inside was able to get out safely.
One fire reported during the week has been determined to be arson, Happy said. A bystander called 911 at 10:53 p.m. June 1 to report seeing someone throwing a burning object through a window at 7403 E. Sprague Ave. After the fire was put out, crews found a container with burn patterns that indicated the use of gasoline.
Other calls: June 1-7
June 1: Smoke was reported billowing from an apartment building in the area of East Eighth Avenue and South Eastern Road just after 2 p.m. Crews discovered the “smoke” was just dust from painters sanding an apartment. A fire was reported in the 4800 block of North Calvin Road just before 6:30 p.m. Crews found a smoking row of arborvitae in front of a home. A sheriff’s deputy on scene helped put the fire out.
June 2: A serious accident involving two motorcycles was reported in the 6700 block of East Appleway Boulevard just before midnight. A caller reported one motorcycle had exploded and was on fire. Crews found a motorcycle rider in the middle of the road and two others on the sidewalk. One of the motorcycle riders died at the scene.
June 3: A homeowner on Horizon Hill Lane reported hitting a natural gas line just before 5 p.m. No gas was detected inside the home. Avista responded to fix the line.
June 4: A motorcycle rider crashed in the 5200 block of East Sprague Avenue after fleeing from police. The rider, who was not wearing a helmet, hit a car. He had minor injuries.
June 5: A dirt bike and a car collided near North Pines Road and East Mission Avenue at 4 p.m., resulting in head and leg injuries to the dirt biker rider. An illegal fire was reported in the area of Skipworth and Johnson roads at 6:48 p.m. The resident was burning lawn debris in a fire pit. He agreed to put it out after being told the fire was illegal.
June 6: Two cars crashed into two different buildings in the 7500 block of East Sprague Avenue at 9:30 p.m. The driver of one of the vehicles, a Chevy Malibu, was being chased by police because he was driving recklessly. The Malibu hit the other vehicle, and both vehicles hit buildings. Both drivers were extricated. According to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the driver of the other car died at the scene. The driver of the Malibu is facing multiple charges.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 290 calls the week of June 1-7, including 244 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included a woman who accidentally locked her two children in the car, a person stranded in an elevator and a possible car accident that turned out to be an abandoned car.