Snowflakes, slick roads return

It’s back.

Light snow fell Saturday across the Inland Northwest, bringing a return of slippery conditions for motorists.

The slushy flakes weren’t enough to dampen a fire that destroyed a garage in a rural area east of Mead, but they did trouble firefighters driving to the remote location on icy, snow-covered roads.

“The weather doesn’t help anything,” said Mike Van Heel, deputy chief of Spokane County Fire District 9. “Getting here is pretty tricky in the first place.”

Smoke filled the snowy country home site as more than 15 firefighters beat out the smoldering remnants of a garage at 10311 E. Peone Landing Lane. Firefighters are unsure what caused the blaze but said a propane tank in the rear of the house fed the flames.

Homeowner Cole Speer, a deputy Spokane County sheriff, and his son escaped unharmed after being alerted to the blaze by neighbors.

Mitchell Moczulski saw those neighbors banging on Speer’s windows as he was visiting friends in the area. Thirty- to 40-foot flames were shooting from the garage, he said.

“The smoke was absolutely ridiculous,” he said.

Several alarmed motorists on Mt. Spokane Park Drive made 911 calls, Van Heel said.

Firefighters stopped the blaze from destroying the home, but Van Heel said the lack of electricity and heat coupled with the smoke and water damage made it uninhabitable. The Speers have family and friends in the area and declined American Red Cross assistance.

The blaze could have come at a worse time Saturday, as gusty winds that moved in later that night would have made it more difficult to squelch, Van Heel said. The National Weather Service expects winds to continue through today with sustained speeds of 20 mph and gusts as high as 30 mph, said Bob Tobin, a meteorologist with the weather service in Spokane.

“The big story is not necessarily the snow,” Tobin said.

But it was enough to keep police, tow truck operators and medics scrambling throughout the night Saturday.

“We’re extremely busy,” a Washington State Patrol dispatcher said of the calls backing up for troopers at crash scenes and other traffic mishaps. Slide-offs were reported on major roads and highways from Spokane to Coeur d’Alene.

No serious injuries were reported.

The 1 to 3 inches of snow predicted for Spokane and Coeur d’Alene this morning should be the only major snowfall this week.

A biting cold front is expected to last through the week. Monday and Tuesday’s highs aren’t expected to reach more than 19 degrees, with lows of 1 below zero predicted, Tobin said.