Fire burns home in northeast Spokane

Firefighters are battling a house fire near Nora Avenue and Morton Street that has destroyed half the home. Firefighters heard reports of a child inside the home and began a search-and-rescue operation as portions of the two-unit residence began to collapse, Spokane Fire Chief Bobby Williams said. Those who lived in the home are all accounted for and were not injured. Nick Peraud, a resident on the home’s ground-floor unit, said he smelled smoke and saw a wall of flames at the back of the house. Nearby real estate agents saw the billowing smoke and called 911. The thick black smoke filled the area. The fire sent two firefighters to the hospital because of heat exposure. Another firefighter injured his arm, Williams said. Firefighters sprayed water on neighboring houses to protect them from the large flames reaching out from the building’s attic. Firefighters rescued a pet bearded lizard from the home. Other pets, cats and dogs, got out, Peraud said. The main body of fire was extinguished by about 5 p.m., Williams said. The cause is still under investigation. According to Spokane County Assessor’s Office, the house was built in 1908.