Dog killed, six displaced by Spokane Valley apartment fire

An early Saturday morning apartment fire in Spokane Valley killed a dog and displaced six people, according to the Spokane Valley Fire Department.

Firefighters responded to an apartment on the 12000 block of East Broadway Avenue around 3:15 a.m. and spotted a fire in a third floor apartment and on its balcony, according to a news release.

One group of firefighters began dousing the flames while others evacuated the building, according to a news release. The fire department then upgraded the fire response, resulting in more firefighters at the scene, including city and Spokane County District 8 personnel.

Firefighters had control of the fire in about 40 minutes, the news release said. The apartment the fire started in had extensive smoke and fire damage, while the apartment below suffered water damage from firefighting. Another third floor unit also was damaged.

The fire department reported no injuries to firefighters or residents. The cause of the fire is under investigation.