Two house fires displace seven residents

Spokane firefighters were busy with two structure fires in north Spokane Saturday. The first fire was reported about 11:10 a.m. at 2311 N. Stevens. A space heater placed in a crawl space under bathroom plumbing to prevent freezing pipes caught the home’s floor on fire, causing fire damage the first floor and basement of the home, fire officials said. The American Red Cross assisted two displaced residents in that fire. The second fire was reported a three hours later at 1712 W. Nora. The fire, cause unknown, started on the first floor and burned into the basement, fire officials said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The Red Cross was assisting at least five displaced resident in that home. Nobody was injured in either fire, officials said.