Spokane Valley Fire roundup: Animals perish in accidental shop blaze
A fire destroyed a Spokane Valley shop on the evening of May 10, killing three chickens, one dove and an 85-pound tortoise, but no people were injured.
The Spokane Valley Fire Department responded to a call for help in the 13200 block of East Fourth Avenue at 9:32 p.m., and when crews arrived they found flames and smoke coming from several different openings in the 24-foot-by-24-foot shop and could not enter the building to fight the fire, said department spokesman Rick Freier.
The loss of animals was discovered after the fire was put out and firefighters could get inside the building.
An investigation determined the fire was accidental.
Other calls May 10-16
May 10: A dumpster fire was reported in the 13900 block of East Indiana Avenue at 3:49 a.m. No one was in the area when crews arrived. The fire was put out. Another dumpster fire was called in at 7:49 a.m. in the 1000 block of North Pines Road. Spokane County Deputies located a witness and firefighters put out the fire. A natural gas leak was reported in the area of Sundown Drive and Forest Meadows at 2:26 p.m. The homeowner reported hitting the natural gas line in his yard while digging with a shovel. Avista Utilities was called to stop the leak. A fire alarm sounded in the 2700 block of North Cherry Street at 2:41 p.m. The residents reported a roommate had left incense burning in his room and locked the door when he left. The room was opened and the smoke dispersed. A natural gas leak was reported in the 1600 block of North Wolfe Penn Court at 4:27 p.m. The resident reported smelling gas when she arrived home with her children and said her husband had left the gas stove on when he left in the morning. The residence was ventilated to clear the gas.
May 11: A homeowner in the 19000 block of East Fourth Avenue called for help at 12:50 p.m. after finding charring on the bottom part of the home’s siding next to a flower bed. An infrared camera showed temperatures above 140 degrees in the flower bed and digging it up revealed that the roots of the plants in the flower bed were burning. The flower bed was soaked with water to put out the smoldering fire. A shed fire was reported in the 2600 block of South Progress Road at 5:18 p.m. The utility shed was fully on fire when crews arrived. The fire spread to a fence, surrounding vegetation and a debris pile before it was put out.
May 12: A vehicle fire was reported in the 15700 block of East Broadway Avenue at 4:36 p.m. The car had heavy smoke coming from under the hood when crews arrived. The hood release latch did not work and crews used a circular saw to cut through the hood and put out the fire. A dumpster fire was reported at Western Systems and Fabrication at 4:46 p.m. The dumpster was in a locked yard that was full of empty dumpsters. Firefighters cut the lock on the gate to gain access. It appeared a cutting torch had been used on the dumpster lid, which caused it to catch on fire.
May 13: A vehicle fire was reported on Interstate 90 near the Pines Road exit at 10:10 a.m. A car’s engine had caught on fire and a passing motorist stopped and used an extinguisher to put it out. The fire may have been caused by a heavy oil leak onto the car’s exhaust system. A column of smoke was reported in the 4000 block of South Madison Street at 11:54 a.m. Crews found several arborvitae bushes on fire, with the homeowner attempting to put out the fire with a garden hose. The fire did not spread to the home.
May 14: Members of the Rescue Task Force stood by as the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team served a warrant on a home near North McDonald Road and East Heroy Avenue at 4 a.m. No injuries were reported. A woman near East Sprague Avenue and North Sullivan Road called at 3:29 p.m. to report that her cat had crawled into the dashboard of her car and was stuck. The cat was located under the passenger seat. The Liberty Lake Police Department called at 7:34 p.m. to have crews check a home in the 1500 block of North Meyers Court that had been hit by a car. The house did not have major structural damage. A Spokane Valley Mall security guard reported at 10:01 p.m. that a propane tank on a stopped train was hissing and there was a smell of propane. A fire crew was attempting to examine the car when the train pulled away. Union Pacific dispatch was notified to tell the train to stop. The crew followed the train until it stopped again near East Indiana Avenue and North Wilbur Road. It was determined the hissing was coming from an air valve and there was no propane leak.
May 15: A natural gas leak was reported in the 14500 block of East 18th Avenue. The gas line was punctured by an auger that was being used to drill fence post holes. Avista was called to stop the leak.
May 16: Smoke was reported in the Dishman Hills Natural Area at 9:17 a.m. Crews gathered at 12th Avenue and Siesta and hiked in to find a quarter acre fire in grass and brush. Crews dug a hand line around the fire and called the Department of Natural Resources for assistance. A brush fire that had possibly spread to a home was reported in the area of East 16th Avenue and South Pierce Road at 7:54 p.m. Crews found several arborvitae on fire, but the fire had not spread. The homeowner said he’d used gasoline to burn a bush and the flames had spread.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 448 calls the week of May 10-16, including 364 calls for emergency medical services. Additional responses included 22 car crashes, a fire alarm activated by concrete dust during construction, a child accidentally locked inside a car, and a fire alarm set off by steam from the shower.
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Nina Culver can be reached at nculver47@gmail.com