Spokane Valley Fire roundup: Garage, travel trailer destroyed but crews prevent further spread of flames into home
Residents were able to escape a recent fire unharmed after a garage fire spread to the attached home in the 1900 block of South Progress Road the morning of Oct. 23.
The call for help came into the Spokane Valley Fire Department at about 11 a.m. By the time crews arrived, the fire had already spread to the living room and dining room areas of the home, said department spokeswoman Julie Happy.
Crews were able to stop the fire from spreading any farther into the home, but there was some smoke damage, Happy said. The garage and a travel trailer parked next to it were a total loss.
The garage roof collapsed, which created hot spots that had to be extinguished.
Crews were able to rescue a cat from the home and used a pet oxygen mask to assist the cat. The cat was taken to an emergency vet center for treatment.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Crews from Spokane County Fire District 8 assisted in putting out the fire.
Other calls Oct. 18-24
Oct. 18: A vehicle fire was reported in the 3800 block of North Argonne Road at 5:24 p.m. The fire was put out. A caller reported seeing smoke coming from a power pole in the area of Mission Avenue and Mullan Road at 5:37 p.m. No fire was found, but resulted in a power outage in the area. Modern Electric was notified. A vehicle versus tree crash was reported in the area of Pines Road and Mirabeau Parkway at 6:36 p.m.
Oct. 19: A fire alarm sounded at Trent Elementary School in the 3300 block of North Pines Road at 10:48 a.m. The school was evacuated, but there was no fire. The alarm was triggered by burnt popcorn. An alarm sounded at the Central Valley Early Learning Center on East Sprague Avenue at 2:40 p.m. The school was having a fire drill and there was no fire. A motorcycle crashing into a power pole was reported in the area of Upriver Drive and Argonne Road at 4:59 p.m. CPR was performed on the rider.
Oct. 20: A car crash was reported at Appleway Avenue and Molter Road at 8:27 a.m. When crews arrived, they found a damaged pickup in the center median resting on top of several small trees. The pickup had hit a light pole, which fell toward the street and was balanced on a small tree. The vehicle was running and empty. Crews turned the engine off and helped control traffic until Avista arrived.
Oct. 21: A crash was reported at Mission Avenue and Liberty Lake Road at 4:56 p.m. A vehicle hit a parked car. When the driver got out of his vehicle, he fell and hit his head. An illegal fire was reported in the 100 block of South Custer Road at 5:14 p.m. Crews found the homeowner disassembling a couch and burning the pieces. The fire was about the size of a small vehicle. The homeowner was told the fire was illegal and it had to be put out.
Oct. 23: A possible illegal fire was reported in the 100 block of South Custer Road. The caller was concerned that transients had a fire inside a pumpkin. No jack-o-lanterns were found.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 460 calls the week of Oct. 18-24, including 369 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included an illegal fire that turned out to be a burning chair and pallets that had been doused with gasoline, a fire alarm triggered by burnt pizza and a 3-year-old accidentally locked inside a vehicle with its engine running.
———
Nina Culver can be reached at nculver47@gmail.com.