Valley blazes damage business, house

Two separate blazes destroyed part of a sheet metal business and damaged a home in Spokane Valley early today. Spokane Valley firefighters were called to Anderson’s Sheet Metal, Heating and Air Conditioning, 13903 E. Trent Ave., shortly before 1 a.m. When they arrived, flames already were coming out the front of the building, said Spokane Valley Fire Department spokesman Bill Clifford. The blaze caused “pretty extensive” damage to the businesses’ office, and smoke and water damaged the rest of the building and an adjacent nail salon, Kim’s Salon. It took crews about 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze. Blowing smoke from the fire temporarily blocked westbound lanes on Trent, according to the Washington State Patrol. A fire investigator has yet to release a cause. In a separate incident around 6 a.m., a Veradale family awoke in their split-level house, 1102 S. Burns Road, to a neighbor banging on the door to alert them the building was on fire. The male homeowner grabbed a hose and knocked down part of the fire, but the blaze already had penetrated the attic, Clifford said. The family plans to stay with friends or family, Clifford said. It is unclear when they will be able to return to the home.