Overdone chicken causes smoke in home

Overcooked chicken was the culprit in one fire call to the Spokane Valley Fire Department between May 9 and 15.

Firefighters responded to a home in the 11000 block of East Boone during the afternoon of May 11 on a report of smoke, said spokesman Bill Clifford. The residents were frying chicken; it apparently was burned when crews arrived.

Residents at another home that firefighters responded to should perhaps consider buying a lottery ticket.

A blaze last Saturday started in a bathroom waste basket, burned through the floor and a synthetic water pipe that led to the toilet, Clifford said. The pipe burst, dousing the fire. The blaze was out when firefighters arrived and caused minimal damage.

Those were two of the nine fires responded to by Valley Fire, Clifford said. Crews responded to 186 calls during the time period, including 137 emergency medical calls.

Firefighters also were called out to 2100 block of South University last Saturday when a resident feared a fire had started in the area, Clifford said. The smoke the concerned person saw was caused by someone spinning tires in their driveway.

Crews also responded to six fire alarms where they found nothing, two minor hazardous materials calls and 24 vehicle crashes in the time period, Clifford said. A crash last Saturday involved a motorcyclist who tried to avoid hitting a pedestrian. Two people were on the motorcycle; one of them ended up in the hospital.