Spokane Valley Fire roundup: Blaze possibly spread from third floor balcony into attic damages 8 apartments
A two-alarm apartment fire on Sept. 10 damaged several apartments, but no residents were seriously injured and three cats were rescued by the Spokane Valley Fire Department.
The call arrived at 8:59 p.m. and crews could see flames above the trees before they arrived at the apartment complex in the 2300 block of North Wilbur Road. A second alarm was called, and crews could see second- and third-story apartments on fire. The fire may have started on a third-floor balcony and spread into the building’s attic, according to department spokeswoman Julie Happy.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation and one had lacerations after breaking the glass on a fire extinguisher box. One of the cats was found in a heavily damaged third-floor apartment and was given oxygen with a special oxygen mask designed for pets.
Eight apartments were damaged, two by fire and smoke and six from smoke and water used to fight the fire. The Red Cross offered assistance to 20 residents, including seven children.
The Spokane Fire Department as well as Spokane County Fire Districts 8, 9 and 10 assisted with the fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Other calls Sept. 7-13
Sept. 7: Crews responded to a downed tree in the area of East Eighth Avenue and South Thierman Road at 9:29 a.m. The pine tree was suspended in power lines. Avista was called. Another downed tree that took down a power line was reported at East Wellesley Avenue and North Arden Road at 9:53 a.m. Avista was notified. Another tree fell in the 15300 block of East Second Avenue at 11:15 a.m. The tree was resting on power lines when an electric arc caused two trees to catch fire. The homeowner was evacuated, and the trees were wetted down. Vera Power was called. A large pine tree fell in the area of East 16th Avenue and South Davis Lane at 12:07 p.m., damaging several power lines and a transformer. Avista was notified. A power pole was reported leaning at about a 75-degree angle over North Argonne Road near East Mission Avenue at 2:22 p.m. Crews helped stop traffic until the pole was fixed by Modern Electric. A two-car, high-speed crash was reported in the 17100 block of East Trent Avenue at 6:28 p.m.
Sept. 8: A grass fire was reported on the south side of Trent near the railroad tracks in the 9100 block of East Trent at 4:18 p.m. It was about 20 feet by 20 feet and seemed to have been caused by a campfire. The fire grew to 50 by 80 feet before the fire was put out. A possible fire was reported at a residential care building in the 14100 block of East Third Avenue at 10:24 p.m. A resident told firefighters that he found and removed a smoldering planter from just outside one of the units. No other fire was found.
Sept. 9: A sounding carbon monoxide detector was reported in the 2300 block of South Mamer Court at 7:36 p.m. Gas monitors showed carbon monoxide concentrations above 40 ppm. However, there was no natural gas connection in the building. By the time Avista arrived, levels had dropped to 1 ppm.
Sept. 13: A small fire was reported at the base of a tree in the 11100 block of East Trent at 3:37 a.m. The fire was put out. A possible illegal fire was reported in the 14100 block of East Desmet Avenue at 5:47 p.m. Crews found a fire using dimensional lumber and yard debris. The occupants of the home told crews they figured it was a good time to clean up debris because of all the smoke in the air. They were informed of the current burn ban.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 336 calls for service in the week of Sept. 7-13, including 266 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included 22 car crashes, a 2-year-old who was accidentally locked in a room and steam from an espresso machine mistaken for smoke.
Nina Culver can be reached at nculver@gmail.com.