Spokane Valley apartment fire knocked down; several residents displaced

Spokane Valley firefighters quickly stamped out an apartment fire on North Wilbur Road, Thursday night, but several residents were left homeless.

All of the building’s occupants safely made it out after the fire, which was reported at about 9 p.m., spread from a third-floor balcony into the complex’s attic. The flames were suppressed within minutes of firefighters’ arrival.

Firefighters were forced to cut into the ceilings of third-floor apartments and the building’s roof to extinguish flames in the attic. Two of the building’s units were directly damaged by the fire, while six suffered smoke and water damage.

A second floor balcony also burned, according to a news release from the Spokane Valley Fire Department.

The building’s residents have been relocated to a hotel by its property manager and the Red Cross was on scene to provide assistance. Firefighters rescued several pets from the building.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

The building is on the 2300 block of North Wilbur Road.

Spokane County Fire Districts 8 and 9, as well as the Spokane Fire Department, also responded to the scene.