Fire kills homeless man staying in Spokane house for veterans

A 72-year-old man died Wednesday after an early morning fire at a north Spokane house where several homeless veterans were living.

Jay Richardson was rushed to a hospital after his room caught fire around 4:45 a.m. in a house on Empire Avenue near Crestline Street, witnesses said. He died later in the morning, Assistant Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said.

Ryan Doody, who also lives in the house, said he woke up smelling smoke. A neighbor was banging on the door telling the men inside that flames were coming from the upstairs window.

Doody said he tried to get upstairs to Richardson’s room but couldn’t make it.

“Halfway up the stairs to the top the smoke was thick enough you couldn’t breathe,” he said. After several attempts, he left the house and waited for the fire department.

Richardson was one of four men living in the house, homeowner Dick Stallman said. He was the only one sleeping upstairs.

Firefighters had the fire out by 5:15 a.m., Schaeffer said. Other residents and Stallman’s dog, Deuce, were unharmed.

Stallman, 71, is a Vietnam War veteran who has taken in other veterans in need of a place to stay since his wife died in 1996.

“I knew I had available bedrooms,” he said.

Richardson had been living in Stallman’s house since June. “I took him in off the streets,” Stallman said.

The house functioned as a community for the men, who were fighting back tears as they talked about Richardson.

“This felt more like home than any other spot I’ve been,” said Doody, also a veteran. He was staying with friends in Chattaroy and moved into Stallman’s house a few weeks ago to be nearer to transportation and services.

Doody described Richardson as a joker who loved to make others laugh. He also had a soft side.

“He’d give you the shirt off his back,” Doody said. “He always had something kind to say.”

Stallman said he’s had no problems with the veterans staying in his home until the fire this morning. His house had smoke alarms, he said, but they didn’t go off. The ground floor didn’t appear to be damaged by the fire, though Stallman said there was some water damage.

Fire investigators were still on the scene several hours after the fire Wednesday and had not determined a cause, but Stallman said he believed the fire was caused by Richardson smoking in bed.