Fire Leaves Woman, 81, Homeless Space Heater Likely Caused Blaze

An 81-year-old woman was homeless Friday after fire destroyed the northeast Spokane house where she’s lived more than 20 years.

Marion Fletcher returned to her home at 3014 E. Boone after going out for breakfast and found it surrounded by smoke and fire. Neighbors had kicked in the back door thinking she was trapped inside.

“The upstairs was completely destroyed,” Spokane fire Battalion Chief Jim Walsh said. “The fire went up inside the walls, into the attic and the space between the first and second floors.”

Walsh said the fire started in a downstairs bathroom, where a portable space heater had been set up.

“She won’t be able to live there anymore,” Walsh said. “Besides fire damage, there’s smoke and water damage, too.”

Fletcher doesn’t have insurance on the house, and lost nearly everything, her friends said Friday. She’ll be staying at a neighbor’s house until Red Cross workers can find her a new place to live.

“She’s very independent and she doesn’t like to ask for anything,” said Francis McDermott, who owns Francisca’s Family Restaurant on East Mission, where Fletcher is a regular. “She doesn’t like to let anybody know she’s having a tough time.”

McDermott said Fletcher used to walk the five blocks from her house to the restaurant every morning, but now calls and asks for a ride. McDermott’s children take turns picking her up and driving her back home.

The kids also shovel snow and chop wood for Fletcher in the winter, although she never asks them to do so, McDermott said. She gets by on a Social Security check and has only one son.

“She worries about money,” McDermott said. “Right now she’s very tired and doesn’t want to talk about the fire. I think she’s very sad.”

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