House burned to the ground on Highway 195 near Spangle, road briefly closed

A house burned to the ground early Monday near Spangle on Highway 195, causing the road to be blocked for several hours.

The fire was reported at about 3:20 a.m., said Tom Brunke, Fire District 3 response chief.

There was one occupant in the house, located at 14924 S. Highway 195, at the time of the fire. The woman was able to escape before the home was completely engulfed in flames, Brunke said.

The home was ablaze when Spokane Fire Department crews arrived, shortly followed by District 3 firefighters, Brunke said.

“It’s going to be a total loss,” Brunke said.

The single resident of the home was taken to a local hotel for the night and the Red Cross is working with her, Brunke said.

“It looked like she was either moving in or out,” Brunke said.

The home was a two-story wood structure, Brunke said.

“I was quite surprised on how fast it went up,” he said.

The fire occurred at the northern end of Fire District 3’s area, but still Brunke said it’s rare for a home to be that far involved in a fire before firefighters can arrive. The cause of the fire is under investigation and Brunke said a determination could take weeks.

Crews were to remain on scene most of the day Monday to watch for hot spots and prevent the fire from spreading, Brunke said.

Traffic was able to move south on the highway just before 7 a.m., according to the Washington State Patrol.