Finger rescued from bunk bed

Among 243 calls in the seven days that ended Wednesday, the Spokane Valley Fire Department rescued a 12-year-old boy who got his finger stuck in his bunk-bed ladder.

Firefighters found the boy with a finger in a knothole when they arrived about 8:50 p.m. on March 20.

“We applied some lubricant and got his finger unstuck without injury,” Inspector Bill Clifford said. “Our guys put duct tape around the hole to prevent the other kids from doing the same trick.”

Clifford said three other general-service calls involved a broken water pipe that flooded a home, a leaking water line outside a building and a child accidentally locked inside a running vehicle.

Five structure fires all were minor, but a recreational vehicle was gutted when it caught fire in the 1700 block of South Carnahan Road, on the border with Fire District 8. Both departments responded.

There were 189 calls for emergency medical service and 19 vehicle collisions that sent six people to hospitals with moderate to severe injuries, Clifford said.

He said there were 22 alarm-system calls, all false or minor.

A hazardous-materials investigation at 6317 E. Trent Ave. found medical gloves inside a biohazard bag that fell off a vehicle.

Clifford said 22 alarm-system calls were either false or minor, and a brush fire turned out to be backyard barbecue.

Clifford’s safety tip for the week was inspired by the barbecue, not the new snow on the ground as he spoke: Do spring yard work in moderation and drink plenty of water to avoid overexertion.