Students discover, battle blaze

A brush fire threatened Spokane Valley’s biggest park and several apartment buildings before firefighters put it out with the help of three fast-acting college students.

At about 1 p.m. May 6, Sean Swaim, 19, was walking with two friends and saw what they thought was a campfire near Mansfield and North Houk Lane.

“We got closer and realized that the fire was pretty much out of control,” Swaim said.

He, Jamie Hauglie and Taylor Adams, both 19, saw ground cover burning and put as much out as they could.

“We were just able to stomp it out because it was pretty low,” Hauglie said.

When the flames got bigger and began climbing trees, they called the fire department.

Six firefighters were dispatched about 1:30 and found a brush fire about 50 feet by 80 feet in the woods behind the YMCA, said Valley Fire spokesman Bill Clifford.

The undeveloped area is close to dozens of apartment buildings, and Mirabeau Point Park facilities.