South Hill home burns

Firefighters battled a blaze at a South Hill home for two hours Friday afternoon, and planned to stay through the night to make sure it was out.

The Spokane Fire Department was called to the home at 614 E. Seventh Ave. about 2:10 p.m. When crews arrived, smoke was so heavy they were unable to see the house, said Battalion Chief Craig Cornelius.

Firefighters also had difficulty accessing the fire because the home was built on a hillside and had a steep terraced walkway.

“We had to extend lines several hundred feet up the hillside,” Cornelius said.

It took crews two hours to get the fire under control, and at one point crews were pulled out of the house for structural concerns. The home was originally two homes, and had been remodeled into one structure.

“There were some big heavy beams we were concerned about, so we pulled everybody out,” Cornelius said.

The house was destroyed. One resident was home at the time of the fire, but escaped without injury. The owner’s German shepherd may have suffered a broken leg.

The cause of the fire is related to a fireplace, Cornelius said.

The blaze was one of several fires that kept city crews busy Friday. Earlier in the day crews battled an apartment fire in north central Spokane.

The fire at a single-story apartment complex at 1508 N. Post St. caused moderate damage to one residence, forcing the occupants to seek new shelter. The American Red Cross is assisting two adults who lived in the apartment. The cause was under investigation.

Firefighters were also called to clear an oil spill in northwest Spokane, and to a kitchen fire on East 14th Avenue on the South Hill.