North Spokane Home Gutted; South Hill House Damaged

A Spokane family lost everything Wednesday when fire swept through a house on North Perry, officials said.

A separate fire badly damaged a South Hill house early New Year’s Day.

The first blaze broke out about 6:10 p.m. inside a frame house at 2411 N. Perry, Battalion Chief Joe Stapleton said.

When firefighters arrived, the rear of the house was burning. The blaze, which apparently began in a laundry room, gutted the house and destroyed everything inside before firefighters could stop the flames. “It was a total loss,” Stapleton said.

Owner Gary Skaife and his family weren’t home, and no one was hurt. The Red Cross put the family up Wednesday night.

The second fire apparently started in the attic of a house at 2652 E. 35th about 1:50 a.m. Thursday.

The residents returned from an evening out and discovered the house on fire, Stapleton said. They rescued their dog, then went to a neighbor’s house and called for help.

Firefighters knocked down the blaze, but there was extensive damage to the roof and attic, Stapleton said.

No one was injured.

, DataTimes