Animal activity causes mishaps
Spokane Valley firefighters responded to 196 calls in the seven days that ended Wednesday, including a couple of animal-ignited power poles.
A bird nest shorted out electric wires and caused a transformer fire near the corner of Trent Avenue and Best Road on Monday that caused a power outage and knocked out traffic signals.
Occupants of the nest apparently weren’t at home at the time of the fire. Deputy Fire Marshal Bill Clifford said no birds were found at the scene.
Two days later, a raccoon wasn’t so fortunate.
Clifford said the animal climbed a utility pole at 10815 E. Augusta Ave., about 11:25 p.m. Wednesday and bit into some wires coming out of a transformer.
“They did find a deceased raccoon on the ground when they got there,” Clifford said.
One of 14 structure fire in the period destroyed Savage Land Pizza at 700 S. Dishman Road. Clifford said that fire, reported at 3:31 a.m. Monday, remained under investigation later in the week. Burglary and arson were suspected.
Clifford appealed for anyone with information about the restaurant fire or an arson-caused brush fire Tuesday to contact police at 242-TIPS or firefighters at 928-1700.
Witnesses saw people fleeing the scene of the brush fire, along the Centennial Trail, near the 16800 block of East Mission Avenue, Clifford said.
Faulty wiring was blamed for an attic fire that caused an estimated $20,000 in damage to a home at 2307 N. Greenacres Road Monday.
Clifford said an improperly discarded cigarette ignited a garbage-can fire that caused minor damage to the exterior of the White Block masonry company’s building, 6219 E. Trent Ave., about 6:20 p.m. Wednesday.
What at first looked like a condominium fire on Tuesday, turned out to be an indoor bon fire – one of four illegal burns in the period. When firefighters arrived at 301 S. Liberty Lake Road, they discovered the heavy black smoke coming from the building was caused by garbage being burned in a wood stove, Clifford said.
Other calls included a dozen false reports from alarm systems, 151 emergency medical responses, 11 vehicle accidents that send three people to hospitals with minor injuries, some diesel spilled from a five-gallon can in a restaurant parking lot and the usual toddler accidentally locked in a car.