Spokane Valley fire roundup: Crews respond to multiple car crashes, some fatal

Several serious car crashes were reported in the area served by the Spokane Valley Fire Department last week, with three of the accidents causing a fatality.

A two-car, high speed crash involving a sedan and a pickup was reported in the 10000 block of East Trent Avenue at 7:42 p.m. June 29. Bystanders reported one person was trapped and one had been ejected from a vehicle. The head-on crash blocked eastbound lands.

One of the people involved in the crash was given CPR at the scene, said fire department spokeswoman Julie Happy. One person died at the scene. The road was partially blocked for hours.

That same evening, a one-vehicle crash was reported in the 11500 block of East Fourth Avenue at 10 p.m. The vehicle was found in the front yard of a home. The driver died at the scene. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office reported speed and impairment may have been factors.

Crews responded to a single-car crash on the westbound I-90 on-ramp at Sprague Avenue at 3 a.m. July 4. The car failed to make the curve and rolled off the overpass. The female driver was ejected and died at the scene. Multiple fire crews joined police in searching the area on foot for other victims after a booster seat and car seat were found in the car. Police found the children were safe at home.

Other calls from June 27 to July 5

June 29: A mini excavator broke a 2-inch natural gas line in the 13000 block of East Olive Lane at 3:21 p.m. Crews used a gas monitor to check nearby residences. Avista responded to shut down and repair the gas line.

June 30: A shopping cart fire was reported in the 4900 block of East Second Avenue at 10:23 p.m. The cart, which appeared to be full of trash, was fully on fire when crews arrived. No one was seen in the vicinity.

July 2: A crew spotted smoke near a water tower in the 2300 block of North Pines Road at 5:35 a.m. They discovered a homeless camp with a small trash fire, which they put out. Numerous fires have been reported in this location recently. A small brush fire was reported in the area of 18th Avenue and Fawn Drive at 3:26 p.m. Crews found a small 10-foot by 10-foot grass fire that was moving slowly. The fire was put out.

July 3: A crew was put on standby as a possible bomb was investigated at the Liberty Lake Police station at 11:45 a.m. The bomb squad responded and detonated the device and the crew was released. A car fire was reported in the Café Rio parking lot at 12:14 p.m. When crews arrived, the fire had already been put out by a bystander with a dry chemical extinguisher. A motorcycle accident was reported in the area of 40th Avenue and Eagle Lane at 4:18 p.m. The rider was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A motorhome fire was reported in a dirt parking lot next to Bob’s Transmission Services at 8:16 p.m. When firefighters arrived, they saw a man on the roof using a long screwdriver to poke the smoking roof near what appeared to be a chimney. He told crews he had been burning brush and lumber in his fireplace inside the motorhome. The fire was put out.

July 4: Witnesses said they heard a firework go off before noticing a bush was burning in a parking lot at Evergreen Road and Mirabeau Parkway at 1:14 p.m. The fire was mostly extinguished with a dry fire extinguisher. Used fireworks thrown in a dumpster caused it to catch on fire shortly before midnight in the area of Jackson and Buckeye.

By the numbers: Crews responded to 340 calls from June 29 to July 5, including 277 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included a child locked inside a vehicle, a dumpster that smelled so bad a bystander called it in as chemical odor and a woman who thought someone might have poured chemicals in her bathroom vent pipe.