Spokane Valley fire crews rescue tot trapped in bathroom

A Spokane Valley Fire Department crew safely reunited a crying toddler with a worried mother last month.

A crew responded to the 3000 block of South Pines Road at 3:15 a.m. on Nov. 27. A 15-month-old child had gone into the bathroom alone and opened a drawer, preventing the door from being opened, said Fire Marshal Kevin Miller.

“Mom couldn’t get the door open,” Miller said. “She was pretty panicked. The kid was just crying.”

The door would only open about a quarter of an inch, but that was enough for the crew to wiggle a slim jim tool into the opening and work the drawer shut, Miller said.

Other calls from Nov. 24 to Dec. 7:

Nov. 26: Two passers-by helped stop the spread of a fire outside one of the West Valley Outdoor Learning Center buildings before it could spread inside. The live animals inside were unharmed.

Nov. 27: A ceiling fan caught on fire in a home in the 1100 block of South Moen. It fell to the floor and started a small fire.

Nov. 29: A neighbor with a fire extinguisher helped put out a kitchen fire at Fairway Road and Boone Avenue in Liberty Lake. The stove had been left on and fire spread to nearby kitchen cabinets.

Nov. 30: Smoke filled the Union Pacific Railroad office at 4350 E. Sprague Ave. after an rooftop HVAC unit seized up. The wall around a fireplace in a home in the 1200 block of North Dick Road caught fire. Two residents and three dogs were able to escape safely. A car hit a pedestrian in the intersection of Sprague Avenue and Argonne Road.

Dec. 3: A tipped-over candle started a countertop fire in the 100 block of South Moen. The residents were able to put it out before it spread but the home was filled with smoke. A car fire was reported at 12200 E. Maxwell Ave. A mechanical issue started the fire in the car, which had just been parked under a carport. The fire was put out before it could spread.

Dec. 4: A small attic fire was reported in the 6400 block of North Lynden Road. The fire started in an area surrounding a wood stove chimney. The residents reported that the chimney had gotten extremely hot and was glowing orange.

By the numbers: The department responded to 557 calls from Nov. 24 to Dec. 7, including 442 for emergency medical services. The calls also included two illegal fires, 36 car accidents, four downed power lines and one toddler locked inside a running car.