Spokane Valley Fire roundup: Video footage shows trash being set ablaze near hardware store at Argonne, Trent

Arson was reported recently in Spokane Valley, but damage was limited and the person who set the fire was captured on video tape.

The fire was reported at 9:09 a.m. on Nov. 8 near the Tru-Value Hardware at Argonne Road and Trent Avenue. Crews found a smoldering pile of trash, including wooden pallet materials. Smoke from the fire had triggered the business’s fire alarm but there was only slight damage to the exterior of the building.

Crews made sure the fire was out and then spoke to employees at the nearby Yoke’s, said department spokeswoman Julie Happy. They were able to get video camera footage of someone starting the fire and then adding fuel to it.

Other calls, Nov. 8-14

Nov. 8: A garage fire was reported in the 400 block of North Moore Road at 5:19 a.m., but the fire was out when crews arrived. A heater had been left on in the garage and it caught a pop-up tent sitting on a table next to the heater on fire. The family put out the fire. A call reporting a 1-inch natural gas line broken by a backhoe in the 5600 block of North Progress Road was reported at 7:53 a.m. Avista Utilities was called to make repairs. A high-speed crash involving a car and a semitruck was reported on westbound Interstate 90 just west of Pines Road at 2:58 p.m. The driver of the car had to be cut from the vehicle, which was heavily damaged. The driver was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Nov. 9: A down person was reported in the 4400 block of North Sullivan Road at 6 a.m. Crews found a person sleeping in the bushes. The crew later delivered the man warm food and hot coffee. Members of the department’s Rescue Task Force were asked to stage at Raymond Road and Springfield Avenue at 10:08 a.m. to assist the Spokane Valley Police Department. They were not needed. A shop fire was reported in the 20500 block of East Happy Trails Lane at 2:04 p.m. Crews found black smoke coming from around the door when they arrived. The fire appeared to have started at a battery charging station, and crews found a pile of smoldering batteries. An alarm sounded at a Marriott hotel in the 15900 block of East Indiana Avenue at 5:14 p.m. A fire sprinkler system pipe had broken above the first-floor ceiling and was spraying water. The sprinkler system was shut down.

Nov. 10: Flames were reported coming from underneath a mobile home in the area of Laura Lane and Alki Avenue at 11:21 a.m. Crews found a small section of skirting and insulation smoldering. The fire was put out. It appeared to have been started by shorted out heat tape that was covering the water pipes under the trailer. The insulation around the water pipe had melted.

Nov. 11: A possible natural gas leak was reported in the 9100 block of East Sprague Avenue. The gas meters were located on the back side of the strip mall and were undamaged. Crews noticed that an old truck parked in front of the businesses smelled strongly like natural gas. The smell dissipated after the truck left. A vehicle fire was reported in the 4800 block of North Powell Road in Newman Lake at 11:45 p.m. Crews found the car in the street on fire. It took about 1,000 gallons of water to put the fire out. The car’s owner said the car hadn’t been driven in a week and had a dead battery. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Nov. 13: A possible natural gas leak was reported at a business in the 2600 block of North University Road at 8:33 p.m. A neighbor told crews that he heard hissing and smelled natural gas. A leaking gas meter was located and the area was evacuated. The gas was shut off.

Nov. 14: A vehicle fire was reported in the 900 block of North Sullivan Road at 4:21 a.m. Crews found a fire in the passenger area of a car and put it out.

By the numbers: Crews responded to 410 calls the week of Nov. 8-14, including 334 calls for emergency medical services. Additional responses included 10 car crashes, a resident locked out of their home and a person in a wheelchair who nearly tipped over on a ramp and needed help getting upright.

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Correspondent Nina Culver can be reached at nculver47@gmail.com.