Early morning fire displaces 3 north of Millwood; firefighters remind public to keep homes fire safe

Three residents of a home that caught fire north of Millwood early Monday escaped without injury.

Spokane County Fire District 9 received reports of the fire at 8404 E. Woodland Park Dr., southwest of Argonne and Bigelow Gulch roads, at about 2:50 a.m. Monday.

When crews arrived, the fire had climbed up the backside of the home and into the attic, said Jim Walkowski, assistant fire chief.

“It looked like the fire had started on the backside of their house on a deck,” Walkowski said.

“Predominantly, we had an attic fire.”

Because the fire was confined to the attic and there are no smoke detectors in the area, smoke alarms did not sound, Walkowski said.

“The occupants of the home were awakened to the sound of the fire burning in the attic above them,” Walkowski said.

The three residents of the home were able to escape quickly without sustaining any injuries, Walkowski said.

Since the house was large – nearly 5,000 square feet – crews from the Spokane Valley Fire Department and the City of Spokane Fire Department were called to assist.

After about two hours, crews brought the fire under control, Walkowski said.

“The bulk of the damage is to the attic space and to the room,” Walkowski said. “There is a considerable amount of water damage to the interior contents of the house.”

County records indicate the home is owned by Sukhjinder S. Sidhu.

While there was a home immediately adjacent to the residence on fire, Walkowski said crews were able to prevent fire spread. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Walkowski said Oct. 4 -10 is Fire Prevention Week, a good reminder to check the batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

If you forget this week, Walkowski said to try his trick: check the smoke detectors when you have to change your clocks twice a year.