Spokane Valley Fire roundup: House, duplex damaged in blazes

Spokane Valley Fire Department crews continue to respond to major fires damaging homes and displacing families as Christmas approaches.

Alert neighbors and people at a church next door called in a fire at a duplex in the 11000 block of East Boone Avenue at 1:51 p.m. on Dec. 15. The fire began on the back porch and spread to both sides of the duplex before crews arrived to put it out, department spokeswoman Julie Happy said.

The residents were able to escape unharmed. The Red Cross was called to assist four adults and a child. A dog and a cat were also able to get out of the duplex. The cause of the fire is under investigation, Happy said.

Crews from the Spokane Fire Department and Spokane County Fire Districts 8 and 9 assisted with the fire.

A kitchen fire was reported at 4 p.m. on Dec. 19 at 11918 E. Boone Ave. Crews heading to the area could see a large column of smoke before they arrived, Happy said. The back of the house, where the kitchen was located, was fully on fire when crews arrived.

It was unknown if there was anyone inside and crews searched the home, but did not find anyone, Happy said. The fire was put out, but there was heavy damage to the back of the home and smoke damage elsewhereto other parts of the home.

The homeowner told firefighters that he was heating a pan on the stove in the kitchen and stepped outside to finish cooking food on his grill. He said that a few minutes later, he noticed flames in his kitchen, Happy said.

The home is currently uninhabitable and the couple living there will stay with family members.

Other calls, Dec. 14-20

Dec. 14: A small fire was reported in a standalone ATM building in the 6600 block of East Sprague Avenue at 7:54 p.m. An employee at a neighboring business reported seeing smoke and flames and smelling burning plastic. He reported that the ATM had been hit by a car recently. The small fire was put out. A fire alarm sounded at an apartment building in the 12200 block of East Maxwell Avenue at 11:52 p.m. The apartment resident said she had left hot pads in her microwave too long and they caught fire. The microwave was burned on the inside, but no fire remained.

Dec. 15: A car crash was reported in the area of Arden and Harvard roads. A car had hit two parked vehicles. Witnesses reported a bloody female driver had walked away from the scene. She could not be located. A small campfire being used by two transients to warm food under a bridge was reported in the 10000 block of East Trent Avenue at 4:53 p.m. They put the fire out when asked to do so.

Dec. 16: Crews received a report of a woman trying to light a T-shirt on fire in a vacant lot in the area of Hutchinson and Marguerite roads at 10:52 a.m. The woman could not be located. A two-vehicle crash was reported in the 15700 block of East Broadway Avenue at 6:56 p.m. One woman was taken to a local hospital. A man involved in the crash said he wanted medical treatment, but had to go home and secure his weapons first.

Dec. 17: A hazardous materials response was triggered when an apartment manager reported feeling sick after smelling a strong chemical odor in an apartment in the area of Conklin and Steen road at 1:55 p.m. No hazardous materials were found. Six 20-foot arborvitae bushes were on fire in the area of Wellesley and Rowan avenues at 6:58 p.m. The bushes were extinguished.

Dec. 18: A resident in an apartment complex in the 10000 block of East Main Avenue reported at 6:18 p.m. that his kitchen and bathroom drains were backed up and he wanted the apartments condemned because the apartment manager refused to fix it. He was told the department couldn’t condemn the apartments, and he should contact the city of Spokane Valley.

By the numbers: Crews responded to 389 calls the week of Dec. 14-20, including 321 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included a baby accidentally locked inside a vehicle, a person locked out of their apartment, a sprinkler head damaged by a forklift, a falling tree that took out a power line and a Christmas ornament craft project that smelled like gasoline and triggered a masked response from firefighters.

—

Nina Culver can be reached at nculver47@gmail.com