Kitchen fire engulfs East Central house in minutes

Over the course of two hours Friday morning, 19 Spokane firefighters fought a house fire so large, Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said it was “significantly” visible from Interstate 90 as he approached.

“In terms of the fire behavior, it was fairly unique,” Schaeffer said.

It burned fast. An occupant of 2716 East Pacific Avenue called 911 Friday saying they had a small kitchen fire. The fire department was there in minutes and by the time they arrived, the house was fully involved in flames, Schaeffer said.

The fire at the two-bedroom home sent a plume of smoke reaching dozens of feet into the air above East Central.

“The residence got serious damage throughout,” Schaeffer said. “Heavy damage.”

No occupants died, though one had minor injuries, Schaeffer said. Pets lived at the residence, but as of Friday evening, the fire department was still trying to determine whether the pets were home during the fire.

The cause was still under investigation as of Friday evening, Schaeffer said. The home did have a smoke alarm.