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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spokane Valley Fire roundup: Firefighter injured, two dogs perish during two major fires

The Spokane Valley Fire Department Administration Building is shown.  (The Spokesman-Review)
By Nina Culver For The Spokesman-Review

Two larger fires kept Spokane Valley Fire Department crews busy recently, with the first breaking out in a Millwood strip mall in the early morning hours Aug. 11.

When crews arrived in the 9300 block of East Trent Avenue after the 5:27 a.m. call to 911, they found flames coming from an exterior side door of the Wash N Snip pet grooming shop. No people or animals were inside at the time of the fire, which was put out within 10 minutes, said department spokesman George Hedebeck.

Most of the damage was confined to the dog grooming shop, though one of the other three businesses in the strip mall did have some damage.

Crews were assisted by firefighters from the Spokane Fire Department and Spokane County Fire District 9.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The second major fire last week was reported at a duplex in the 10900 block of East 16th Avenue at 10:52 p.m. on Aug. 11.

When crews arrived, the basement on one side of the duplex was on fire with flames coming out the front door, said Hedebeck.

Smoke detectors had alerted the residents to the fire.

The fire was difficult to control, and one firefighter was injured.

Two dogs were found in the burning half of the duplex and could not be resuscitated.

The other half of the duplex was not damaged.

The Red Cross was called to assist the displaced residents.

Crews from Spokane County Fire District 8 assisted with the fire. The cause is under investigation.

Other calls Aug. 9-15

Aug. 9: A grass fire was reported next to eastbound Interstate 90 near the Pines exit at 12:12 p.m. The fire was small and was quickly put out. A two-vehicle rollover crash was reported in the 26100 block of East Appleway near Stateline at 10:26 p.m. Kootenai Fire provided assistance.

Aug. 10: A brush fire was reported in a field in the 4100 block of North Industrial Park Fourth Street at 10:29 a.m. The 20-by-20-foot fire was in the vicinity of a power pole and firefighters put water on it from a distance. The transformer blew while firefighters were on scene. Avista was called. A vehicle versus pedestrian collision was reported in the 6600 block of East Broadway Avenue at 11:22 a.m. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office reported that someone was hit by a car during an attempted carjacking. A fire was reported in the area of Michigan Road and Seventh Avenue at 4:03 p.m. The caller reported smoke coming from the basement. Crews found heat and smoke in a room near an indoor sauna in the basement. An illegal fire was reported in a backyard in the 243000 block of East Wellesley Avenue at 11:08 p.m. The homeowner was burning trash and weeds in a burn barrel, only 2 feet from dried grass and brush. The homeowner was notified of the current burn ban and also told that burn barrels have been illegal for years. The fire was put out.

Aug. 11: A fire alarm summoned firefighters to an apartment complex in the 12300 block of East Main Avenue at 3:55 p.m. It was determined that someone had put a plastic pan in the oven in the communal kitchen, creating a lot of smoke.

Aug. 13: A load of recyclable trash inside a Waste Management truck caught on fire and was dumped in a parking lot in the 10900 block of East Sprague Avenue at 6:56 a.m. Crews doused the large pile of trash with water and foam. A brush fire was reported in the 5300 block of East Fifth Avenue at 2:21 p.m. The smoke was seen near the top of a high rock mound, where several other fires have been found lately. The site was doused with water and foam.

Aug. 14: A grass fire was reported in the 300 block of North Union Road at 5:05 p.m. Crews found the fire had spread to four trees and had burned part of a wooden fence. The fire was put out and is under investigation.

By the numbers: Firefighters responded to 452 calls during the week of Aug. 9-15, including 387 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included 30 car crashes, 18 fires, a reported natural gas smell that turned out to be an odor from a nearby sewer plant, and a woman who believed she had a hazardous materials leak in her home because several of her pet birds had just died. However, gas monitors did not detect anything hazardous.