Residents and pets escape early morning house fire in Spokane Valley

Residents of a home near North Sargent Road and East Valleyway Avenue called 911 after waking up to the smell of smoke on Thursday morning.

At about 7:15 a.m., they reported the roof was on fire, according to the Spokane Valley Fire Department.

Crews quickly arrived to turn off the gas to the home before locating and extinguishing the fire, the department said.

More crews arrived on scene, including Avista and Spokane Valley police for traffic control . A total of seven apparatuses responded with a total of 21 firefighters.

The ceiling of the home was pulled apart to quell hotspots and prevent the fire from reigniting. The fire investigator determined an electrical issue in the attic of the home was the cause of the fire, SVFD said.

All residents and pets made it out of the house unharmed, the fire department said. However, the residents will not be able to return to the home for some time. The Red Cross was on the scene to help the family.

The fire department reminded residents to have working fire alarms and to check their smoke detectors monthly to make sure they work. It’s also important to check the expiration date on the back of smoke detectors to know when they are at the end of their life, the fire department said.