Fire roundup: Camper razed in accidental blaze in Liberty Lake; residents rally to help vehicle owner
Crews from the Spokane Valley Fire Department are busy responding to fires as the region’s hot and dry weather continues.
Firefighters were called to a camper truck fire in Liberty Lake on Saturday morning. A man had been living in the camper, which was parked in an empty field behind a bank in the area of Liberty Lake Road and Appleway Avenue, for several weeks.
The camper was a ball of fire when crews arrived. By the time the flames were under control, the camper was destroyed. The man was able to escape from the fire unharmed, but he lost all his possessions, fire department spokeswoman Julie Happy said.
The man is receiving assistance, Happy said.
“The Liberty Lake residents really stepped up to help him out and get him services and items,” she said.
A preliminary investigation has ruled the fire accidental, Happy said.
A 911 caller reported hearing an explosion and seeing flames coming from a garage at an apartment building at 2:46 a.m. Friday. Firefighters used saws to get inside the burning garage as well as two neighboring garages. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Other calls from Aug. 17-23
Aug. 18: A natural gas line break was reported in the area of Sonora Street and Radco Drive at 8:53 a.m. The line was hit by someone digging in the yard. Avista was called to close and repair the line. A small fire caused by a bathroom fan was reported at a home in the area of Wellesley and Trent avenues at 2:24 p.m. The resident had put the fire out before crews arrived.
Aug. 21: A motor home fire was reported at Trent and Sargent Road at 10:11 a.m. The fire was out when crews arrived. The motor home owner said he heard a pop and thinks the sound was his water line breaking, which put out the engine fire.
Aug. 23: A resident reported a strong, rotten-egg odor in a home in the 4400 block of North Adams Road at 6:53 a.m. Firefighters could smell a strong odor similar to a sewage or P-trap odor, but no hazardous gases registered on their equipment. The homeowner was advised to air out the home and call an expert for assistance. A person apparently used fireworks to start several small fires in dry grass in the 19000 block of East Alki at 8:23 p.m. The resident said the fireworks were set off by someone he had been arguing with previously.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 375 calls from Aug. 17 to 23, including 285 for emergency medical services. Other calls included 16 car crashes, several backyard fires illegal under the current burn ban and one suspected campfire that turned out to be someone cremating a pet chicken.