Fire roundup: Back-to-back fires started by man cooking in field, SVFD says
A Spokane Valley Fire Department crew recently responded to a fire in a field twice in less than 20 minutes for a homeless man lighting a fire.
Engine 1 was sent to the field next to New Life Assembly of God Church near University and Gillis roads at 6:23 p.m. March 9, after someone reported a fire. They found a homeless man who said he was waiting for a friend to bring him food that he planned to cook over the fire, said Community Affairs Manager Julie Happy.
The man wasn’t cooperative, so the crew put out the fire and told him not to start another one, Happy said. Only 5 minutes after they left, they received another call for a fire at the same location. The crew once again put out the fire and told the man police would be called if they had to return again. There were no further calls that evening.
Another homeless cooking fire caused the outside wall of the Longhorn BBQ restaurant on North Argonne Road to catch fire at 3:30 a.m. March 9. An employee at the Maverik gas station across the street spotted the fire and called it in. The restaurant’s sprinkler system activated and kept the damage to a minimum, Happy said.
A fire investigator determined that surveillance cameras at the restaurant and the gas station had captured video of a man who lit the fire. Evidence found at the scene of the fire also turned out to be linked to a recent burglary, Happy said.
The information was passed on to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, who was able to identify and arrest the man on charges of arson and burglary, Happy said.
“We collaborated with the Sheriff’s Office on all of that followup,” she said.
Other calls March 9-15
March 9: A carbon monoxide detector was sounding in a home in the 13200 black of East Saltese Road. Using an air monitor, firefighters got a reading of 36 ppm in the woman’s front bedroom. Avista was called to assist. The resident was checked and said she did not have any symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.
A homeless campfire was reported in the 2600 block of North Dartmouth Lane just after 8 a.m. Firefighters discovered a fire that had been out for some time and was cold to the touch.
A large column of smoke was reported in the 7100 block of East Eleventh Avenue. The resident at the home had a recreational fire in their backyard.
March 10: Smoke was reported in the area of 1400 S. Skipworth Road. Crews discovered a homeowner burning pine cones in a fire pit in his backyard. The man told firefighters he was from California and didn’t know he couldn’t burn his yard waste.
March 11: Crews assisted Spokane County Fire District 8 with an 11-acre brush fire in the 6400 block of South Linke Road.
March 15: A two-car accident was reported in the 6700 block of East Appleway Boulevard. When crews arrived, they saw two women having a fist fight. One vehicle had flipped over, but no injuries were reported.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 336 calls March 9-15, including 263 responses for emergency medical services. Other calls included 30 car crashes, one hazardous material call for a gasoline leak and one call for a child accidentally locked inside a vehicle.