Valley firefighters rescue woman trapped in duplex

Spokane Valley Fire Department personnel succeeded in rescuing a woman from a duplex fire Saturday morning.

Responding to reports of a structure fire, SVFD units arrived at a small, one-story duplex on the 4200 block of N. Avalon shortly before 10:40 a.m. Seeing smoke, they upgraded the incident to a working fire and called in more resources.

The resident, a 64-year-old woman, had called 911 to report the fire, but “was unable to escape due to intense heat and smoke,” according to a Spokane Valley Fire Department news release. Firefighters located her in her bedroom and brought her outside to safety.

The woman was transported to an area hospital, and later to Seattle for treatment.

SVFD worked both inside and outside the structure to suppress the flames. They were able to keep it contained to the kitchen area, where it was extinguished without spreading further.

The cause of the fire, which caused an approximated $25,000 in damages, is under investigation.