Spokane Valley Fire Blotter: Food was source of smoke at apartment complex

Just because you can see smoke doesn’t mean there’s actually a fire.

Some residents of an apartment complex at 12505 E. Third Ave. learned that shortly before 9:30 p.m. Oct. 11. A smoke detector went off, and a smoky haze was reported on the second floor, said Spokane Valley Fire Department spokeswoman Melanie Rose.

After much searching, firefighters found the source of the smoke. A resident had burned some food and opened their door and windows to air out the apartment and get the smoke outside. There wasn’t actually a fire, Rose said.

There was a fire in the wall of an attached garage in the 1000 block of South Virgil Court just after 8 p.m. on Oct. 15. The fire didn’t spread to the home, but caused $25,000 in damage to the garage and $45,000 in damage to two cars parked inside, Rose said.

The cause of the fire is still undetermined but is believed to be accidental.

Other calls

from Oct. 3-16

Oct. 5: A trash can fire was reported at the Pepper Tree Inn at 1816 N. Pepper Lane. An employee was able to put it out with a fire extinguisher. There was some minor damage to an outside wall and landscaping.

Oct. 10: Firefighters responding to a reported fire in the 23600 block of East Sharpe Court found a resident burning items in a burn barrel. Use of burn barrels has been banned for decades.

Oct. 11: A 17-year-old girl was hit by a pickup going nearly 35 miles per hour in the 9000 block of East Liberty Avenue around 7:30 a.m. The teen was reportedly dragged under the truck for 30 or 40 feet. She sustained head injuries but was conscious when crews arrived.

Oct. 12: A smoke smell was reported in a medical building at 924 S. Pines Road. The smell was traced to two overheated air ducts.

Oct. 13: A rollover crash was reported near the Pines exit on eastbound Interstate 90. The driver, who was not seriously injured, said his car blew a tire, veered off the road and flipped in the grass.

By the numbers: Crews responded to 555 calls in the two weeks of Oct. 3-16, including 449 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included 46 car crashes, an overheated motor on a gas fireplace, a gasoline spill in the bed of a pickup truck and a man who was unable to remove a ring stuck on his finger.