Spokane Valley Fire roundup: Authorities investigate trash bin burns
It’s hot and dry out there, which means that everyday tasks might be risky enough to start a fire. Adding to the risk, however, are recent fires that have been deliberately set.
Early in the morning of July 6 shortly after 2:30 a.m., residents reported Waste Management trash bins burning in the area of North Park Road and East Montgomery Road. There was one in the 2400 block of North Park, one at Park and Montgomery Avenue, three on Girard Road at Montgomery and one at North Bowman Road and Montgomery. An investigation was opened, and witnesses were interviewed. Washington State Patrol and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office searched the area for anyone suspicious.
A caller reported seeing a man light grass on fire near Coleman and Park roads at 11:23 a.m. July 9. Crews spotted the man suspected of lighting the fires and called the sheriff’s office, who arrested the man on suspicion of arson. A small fire was put out.
Other calls from July 5-11
July 5: A car fire was reported in the 5800 block of East Fourth Avenue at 7:02 a.m. Crews arrived to find a car on fire with someone using a garden hose on it and a another car also damaged by fire. The resident said he had taken the fuel pump off one car and was trying to remove the gasoline to transfer to the other vehicle. A brush fire was reported near Mirabeau Park at 8:02 a.m. The smoke was from fire the night before that was still being monitored by the Department of Natural Resources. A brush fire was reported in the 6300 block of North Ormond Road at 2:45 p.m. There was a 100-foot by 50-foot fire burning near a swale that was put out with the assistance of DNR. A fire was reported in the 15600 block of East Fourth Avenue at 6:02 p.m. The smoke was coming from a cooking fire.
July 6: Smoke was reported near Mirabeau Park at 12:28 p.m. The smoke was coming from a hot spot at the base of a tree in an area that had previously burned.
July 7: A fire was reported in the 5600 block of East Railroad Avenue at 6:23 p.m. Crews found stacks of highway guardrail building supplies burning inside a locked, fenced area. They cut the chain on the gate and put out the fire.
July 8: A brush fire was reported in the 26700 block of East Wellesley Avenue at 8:54 a.m. The small fire was quickly put out. A fire was reported inside a unit at a storage facility in the 11400 block of East Trent Avenue at 4:55 p.m. Crews forced their way inside the unit and found a box van with its engine compartment on fire. The fire was put out.
July 9: A natural gas leak was reported in the 2600 block of South Vercler Road at 6:28 a.m. It was determined a work crew digging fence holes had punctured a gas line. Avista responded to shut down the line. A brush fire was reported on the hill near the Eagle Rock Apartments in the 12400 block of East Mansfield Avenue at 11:41 a.m. Crews wet down the area and dug a line around the fire with the assistance of DNR. The cause of the fire is under investigation. A two-car rollover crash was reported in the 400 block of North Argonne Road at 2:07 p.m. The driver of the rolled over car was trapped in the vehicle and had to be extricated.
July 10: A crew was called to assist adults locked out of their apartment with sleeping children inside in the 1900 block of North Hutchinson Road at 12:46 a.m. The door handle had been loose for some time and broke off. Firefighters were able to use a pry bar to open the door.
July 11: A fire was reported in the 1300 block of North Lily Road at 5:38 a.m. A shed was on fire when crews arrived. The fire was stopped from spreading to a nearby shop, but the shed and a carport were destroyed. A brush fire was reported in the 2700 block of North Pines Road at 10:46 a.m. A smoke column was visible when crews arrived. DNR assisted in putting the fire out.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 481 calls the week of July 5-11, including 383 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included 38 fires, 22 car crashes, a reported natural gas leak that turned out to be a cat litter box, a propane leak in an older Chevy pickup that had been converted to run on propane and a reported fire that turned out to be dust kicked up by a leaf blower.