Crews battling small wildfire that spread from structure fire west of Cheney

A structure fire spread into nearby trees and grass near Cheney on Friday morning, prompting a response from local and state fire crews.

The fire began about 10:30 a.m. on property along state Highway 904, near Whispering Pines Ranch and Koski Park Lane, 6 miles east of Cheney.

Dustin Flock, division chief at Spokane County Fire District 3, said three structures were a total loss in the fire. The fire spread from one outbuilding to another nearby and then to the adjacent single-wide trailer turned into a woodworking shop. The owner of the property suffered burns trying to fight the blaze, but she was not transported to a hospital. No other injuries were reported.

Before long, flames spread to nearby wildlands, said Guy Gifford, spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources northeast communication center.

“We lost about a dozen trees,” Flock said.

The fire grew to about an acre before District 3 crews got a handle on it, Gifford said. Teams from DNR and Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge assisted.

Fire District 3 dispatched eight engines along with two from DNR and one from Fish and Wildlife.

DNR crews are continuing to patrol the surrounding area to watch for fire starts, said Reilly Bates, a DNR spokesman on the scene.

“The spread potential is low right now,” said Bates.

Property records indicate the property is owned by Randy and Lavertta Lawrence.

An investigator from DNR was dispatched and an investigation is ongoing.

Staff writer Jonathan Glover contributed to this report.