Spokane Valley Fire Department crews unable to save man trapped in collapsed hole
Spokane Valley Fire Department crews tried unsuccessfully to save a man who was trapped headfirst in a hole when it collapsed around him and filled with dirt.
Crews were called to the 600 block of North Carnahan Road just before 6:45 a.m. on May 15. It appeared that he was lying on the ground with his head and arms in the hole when it collapsed, said department spokeswoman Melanie Rose.
“His whole torso was in the hole and his arms, both of them, were outstretched,” she said. “Once the hole started collapsing he had no leverage to get himself out.”
The man was apparently installing new plumbing underneath his home and had dug a hole next to the home’s foundation. The man’s identity had not yet been released.
Other calls from May 8-21
May 9: Towels caught fire inside a commercial dryer at 9212 E. Montgomery Ave. No other damage was detected. The swift water rescue team responded to Summit Parkway in downtown Spokane to help the Spokane Fire Department with the rescue of a man reported in the river.
May 10: A family evacuated their home in the 4600 block of North Lucille Road after their carbon monoxide detector went off and they smelled natural gas. Firefighters detected natural gas at levels of 80 parts per million in some areas of the home even after it was ventilated. Levels of 35 ppm are enough to trigger detection equipment.
May 11: A brush fire was reported in the 17800 E. Trent Ave. A resident said he was tilling in the field when he hit a a guide wire and brought down a power pole, which arced and started the fire.
May 17: A small attic fire was reported at 407 S. Dishman Road. The flue from an oil-fired furnace had become stopped up after not being cleaned for some time and caused the fire. A vehicle fire was reported in a parking lot at 10423 E. Trent. Firefighters used about 500 gallons of water to put the fire out and keep it from spreading to a nearby building.
May 19: A resident in the 9800 block of East Fourth Avenue was discovered using an illegal burn barrel.
May 20: A disabled man in a motorized wheelchair called for help when his chair’s battery went dead in the 1900 block of North Sullivan Road. A firefighter pushed the chair to the fire station a few blocks away to be recharged while the rest of the crew took the man home. The man and his chair were later reunited.
May 21: Baby formula containers left on a stove caught fire when a burner was accidentally turned on in the 24900 block of East Heather Lane. The homeowner was able to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 632 calls in the two week from May 8 to 21, including 520 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included 35 car crashes, a smoke call that turned out to be a wood stove fire and three young children locked inside cars.