Cars, Boat, Photos Lost In Garage Fire

If Richard Trapp ever needed an impetus to kick the habit, the Greenacres man now has it.

Tuesday morning, Trapp’s two young sons, ages 4 and 5, burned down a two-car garage after snatching their father’s cigarettes and attempting to smoke one.

The boys escaped without injury, but the garage burned to the ground, destroying two cars, a fishing boat, lawn equipment and about half of the family’s photos.

The home, about 10 feet away from the detached garage, was severely scorched on one side and suffered roof damage.

The Trapps, who are renting the home and garage, did not have renter’s insurance. They said they would probably move out.

“(The boys) are really shook up,” said Richard Trapp, standing in front of the charred remains of his wife’s car.

Trapp said he has caught his sons playing with matches before, and has disciplined them for it.

“I tried to get it in their heads,” said a frustrated Trapp. “I almost said, ‘I’m not smoking anymore.”’

The boys took the book of matches and cigarettes from their father’s car while their parents were inside the house. They then went inside the garage, got into their mom’s Mercury Lynx and started lighting the matches. The fire started when a match dropped between the car door and seat.

Neighbors saw smoke at about 10 a.m. and called the Spokane Valley Fire District. The Trapps also noticed smoke, and found their sons watching it from outside the garage.

Just last week, the family moved a bunch of property out of a storage unit and into the garage, said Michelle Trapp, the boys’ mother. They also had recently bought a new lawn mower and weed-eater.

Fifteen firefighters, who responded with four fire trucks, spent about 30 minutes fighting the blaze.

, DataTimes