Spokane Valley Fire roundup: Illegal burning reports rise with warmer weather
One of the sure signs of spring in Spokane Valley is large numbers of calls coming into the Spokane Valley Fire Department for illegal burning.
Many residents decide to tidy up their yards and then start burning brush, leaves and assorted yard debris. Only recreational fires using clean, seasoned firewood are allowed in the areas served by the department when conditions permit. Recreational fires are often banned in the summer and early fall when fire danger is high.
Burning yard debris, trash and construction materials is illegal year-round, whether the materials are in a burn pit, a burn barrel or simply piled in the yard. In addition to producing smoke, it can be easy for such fires to spread to nearby homes.
Many homeowners tell firefighters that they didn’t know the rules and willingly put the fire out when asked to do so. If firefighters have to return to the same address repeatedly, the homeowner can be fined by Spokane Clean Air.
Other calls March 15-21
March 15: A call came in about a truck stuck in power lines at Euclid Avenue and First Street in the Spokane Valley Industrial Park at 2:15 p.m. A garbage truck hauling a removable dumpster had dropped the dumpster, and the boom of his truck came into contact with overhead power lines. The driver stayed in his truck until Avista Utilities de-energized the line. A brush fire was reported behind a home on North Marguerite Road in Millwood at 3:01 p.m. Crews found a neighbor trying to put the fire out with a garden hose. The homeowner arrived and stated he had dumped some ashes on a pile of grass clippings several days ago, which apparently ignited the fire.
March 16: An illegal fire was reported in the 8000 block of East Fairview Avenue at 3:56 p.m. The homeowner was burning yard waste and said he didn’t know it was illegal. The fire was put out. A driver was reportedly trapped inside a car flipped on its side at Evergreen Road and Trent Avenue at 6:34 p.m. The man did not have to be extricated. A fire alarm sounded in the 13000 block of East Mission Avenue at 8:02 p.m. A room reportedly became filled with smoke after a cellphone malfunction. Crews found a smoldering phone in a sink.
March 17: A fire was reported at the American Recycling facility in the 6200 block of East Mission Avenue at 1:41 p.m. Crews found four bales of scrap metal on fire, producing heavy smoke. The fire was put out with the help of an employee who broke open the bales to make sure the fire was completely out. A car crash was reported on eastbound Interstate 90 near the Evergreen exit at 2:01 p.m. A sedan and a semitruck were involved and the sedan flipped three times, trapping the injured driver inside. The driver was freed from the vehicle.
March 19: Crews spotted a small, slow-moving brush fire in the 100 block of North Dyer Road near Station 6 at 10:06 a.m. The fire appeared to have been started by a campfire. It was put out.
March 21: An illegal fire was reported in the 5200 block of East Granite Point Drive at 11:16 a.m. The homeowner was burning yard waste. He was informed the fire was illegal and put it out. A dumpster fire was reported in the 12200 block of East Fourth Avenue at 7:41 p.m. No one was seen in the area.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 388 calls the week of March 15-21, including 320 calls for emergency medical services. Additional responses included 13 car crashes, a reported fire that turned out to be a yellow light and another reported chimney fire that was a normal fire inside a fireplace.