More than 40 residents of a Fairfield nursing home relocated to a Spokane Valley center after a Saturday morning fire damaged their building.

A fire inspector said it appeared a fan or light in a resident’s bathroom started the fire at the Good Samaritan Society – Fairfield home, 503 S. Good Samaritan Road, about 8 a.m., said Michael Hinson, regional director for the nonprofit Good Samaritan Society. None of the 44 residents was injured, he said.

Fire crews opened the roof, and smoke caused damage to two wings, Hinson said. The center won’t know the full extent of the damage until next week, he said.

Parker Howell

Small brush fire quickly contained

Spokane Fire Department crews, along with the Washington state Department of Natural Resources, quickly contained a small brush fire Saturday near The Creek at Qualchan golf course in Hangman Valley.

Fire burned a 60-by-60-foot patch of ground northeast of the course, and started to climb some trees, before crews brought it under control, said Spokane Fire Department Battalion Chief Dan Brown. The call came in around 6 p.m., and before 7 p.m. crews had the fire encircled.

“We were just real fortunate there wasn’t any wind,” Brown said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Three Spokane fire rigs reported to the scene, as well as two trucks from the DNR.

Parker Howell

Pullman

Discarded fireworks ignite part of home

The Pullman Fire Department is reminding celebrants to make sure fireworks are fully extinguished before throwing them away after discarded fireworks ignited a home early Saturday morning.

A neighbor of the Military Hill house, 1935 N.W. Arcadia Drive, reported the blaze after noticing flames coming from a garbage container in front of the garage, according to a department news release. The fire spread to the house, destroying vinyl siding and causing minor damage in the attic.

Pullman firefighters responded shortly after 12:16 a.m., putting out the blaze in about 15 minutes. Residents were allowed to stay in the home.

Less than an hour later, fire crews also responded to a Dumpster fire attributed to tossed-out pyrotechnics in the alley behind the 200 block of East Main Street.

Parker Howell