Firefighters, sprinkler system douse fire at Inland Empire Paper
What could have turned into a raging inferno was instead a smoldering mess thanks to the sprinkler system installed at Inland Empire Paper.
Fire crews responded to the paper mill on Argonne just after 2:30 p.m. on April 15 for a fire in the recycling building. Employees were unloading giant bundles of recycled materials that were held together with metal bands, said Spokane Valley Fire Department spokeswoman Melanie Rose.
The metal of one of the bands scraped across the floor, got hot and ignited the bundled paper, Rose said. Crews were able to put out the fire quickly with help from the sprinkler system.
The quick response was due in part to the department’s pre-incident planning, Rose said. “We already knew what was in there,” she said.
Crews from Spokane County Fire District 8 assisted at the fire and crews from Spokane County Fire District 9 staffed several Valley Fire stations while crews were at the paper mill.
Inland Empire Paper is owned by Cowles Co., which also owns The Spokesman-Review.
Other calls from April 13-19:
April 13: A driver hit a parked car in the block of 10700 E. Mission and then fled the scene when his car burst into flames.
April 15: A t-bone accident was reported at Appleway and Barker Road, sending two people to the hospital.
April 18: A motor home parked in a mobile home park in the 19200 block of East Buckeye caught fire. The motor home was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. It burned to the ground, but crews were able to save the mobile homes on either side. The cause is under investigation.
April 19: A couple in a canoe overturned in the middle of Liberty Lake. One was wearing a lifejacket and one was not. The two managed to cling to the canoe until Liberty Lake police officers borrowed a boat and brought them to shore before firefighters arrived. The two were unharmed.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 281 calls from April 13-19, including 229 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included seven illegal trash fires and 18 car accidents.