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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spokane Valley fire roundup: Sprinkler system douses fire at Vaqueros Mexican Restaurant

Firefighters with the Spokane Valley Fire Department had a busy day Sunday as they responded to a variety of fire calls, including a kitchen fire in a restaurant that was able to be put out quickly.

A call came in at 1:30 p.m. reporting a kitchen fire at Vaqueros Mexican Restaurant at 16208 E. Indiana Ave. The sprinkler system inside the building activated, putting out the flames, said Community Affairs Manager Julie Happy.

“That one was really quick,” she said. “The system worked.”

There was only minor damage to the building, Happy said. “Within two hours they were open for business again,” she said.

Happy said the fire showcases the effectiveness and importance of sprinkler systems. She said similar fires at businesses without sprinkler systems have caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and can force a business to close for an extended period.

“A lot of these older, smaller buildings don’t have them,” she said.

The department recommends businesses install sprinkler systems even in situations when they’re not required, she said.

Also on Sunday, the department responded to three outdoor campfires believed to have been started by a person who is homeless. The first fire was reported behind the Grocery Outlet store at 12115 E. Sprague Ave. at 3 a.m.

A man was seen leaving the area before crews arrived, Happy said.

“They appeared to put some brick and stone and pallets up as a windbreak and made a fire within that,” she said. The fire spread to the pallets.

The second campfire was called in as an illegal burn in the area of North Cement Road and East Trent Avenue at 5:30 a.m. Sunday. The third was reported near the Banner Bank at Sprague and University Road at 3 p.m.

Other calls, March 2-8

March 2: A smoldering fire was reported in a truck full of trash at 4:55 a.m. in the area of Carlisle and Mansfield. Firefighters dumped the debris and had to put 7,500 gallons of water on the pile to put it out.

March 3: A carbon monoxide detector was reported as going off in the 18000 block of East Dalton Avenue. Firefighters checked the home, including the stove and hot water heater, and could find no issues.

March 4: An outdoor grill fire was reported in the area of North Rio Grande and Hodges Road at 6:48 a.m. The grill was on a wood deck and about a foot away from the home. Firefighters extinguished the fire and instructed the homeowner on how to clean the grill so it wouldn’t catch on fire again.

March 5: A homeowner in the 21700 block of East Wellesley Avenue called to report their carbon monoxide detector sounding. Firefighters tested the air with air monitors and found nothing. The homeowner changed the batteries in the detectors. A woman in the 15700 block of East Fourth Avenue called to report she had accidentally locked her 1-year-old child in a room in her apartment. The maintenance man was called to unlock the door.

March 8: The smell of natural gas was reported at 423 N. Pines Road. Firefighters detected no odor but determined a propane gas filling station was present at the location.

By the numbers: Crews responded to 341 calls during the week of March 2-8, including 290 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included three vehicle fires, 16 other fires, neighbors damming up water coming from a crack in the street in an effort to keep homes from flooding and a 14-year-old boy who was injured when he was struck by a car while crossing Sprague Avenue at Sullivan Road.