Two recent arson fires investigated

Spokane Valley firefighters investigated two arson fires between Jan. 16 and 23, and a man’s life may have been saved by two Liberty Lake residents who knew how to administer CPR.

Fire crews responded to nine fires during that time period, including the two arsons, fire department spokesman Bill Clifford said.

A portable bathroom was destroyed, and a mobile construction office was damaged Jan. 18 at West Valley High School, Clifford said. Fuel from an unlocked gas tank was dumped in the parking lot on the north side of the school where there’s new construction going on.

The blaze was reported about 3:31 a.m. The damage was estimated at $7,000.

The arson is still under investigation, Clifford said.

The second arson fire occurred on Sunday at the old cement plant at Pines Road and Empire.

Kids apparently got inside the building and lighted two small fires, Clifford said. No damage estimate was available. Four juveniles were taken into custody as persons of interest in the arson by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

One other fire worth noting happened when a deep-fat fryer was plugged in then left unattended, Clifford said.

“Deep fat fryers need to be attended to at all times,” he said. “The homeowner knocked the flames down with a fire extinguisher, but it reignited.”

The fire extinguisher used by the homeowner was one of the smaller sizes, Clifford said. The fire department recommends a 2A 10BC fire extinguisher, which can be found at hardware stores.

Spokane Valley firefighters responded to 110 emergency medical calls between Jan. 16 and 23, including one in which two Liberty Lake residents were credited with helping save a man’s life.

The man collapsed at the Liberty Lake Fitness Center on Saturday, Clifford said. The two Liberty Lake residents immediately started CPR. That early intervention sent the man to the hospital breathing and with a pulse.