Spokane Valley Fire roundup: Marijuana shop hit with Molotov cocktail that fails to ignite

Many of the calls received by the Spokane Valley Fire department are routine, requiring crews to put out fires or help people having medical issues. But there are also times that more unusual calls come in, such as the one on Aug. 30 that involved a makeshift Molotov cocktail that someone tried to use to start a fire in a local business.

The attempted arson was reported at the Local Canna House in the 9600 block of East Sprague Avenue at 7:47 a.m. . Overnight someone had thrown a rock through a window, then lit and tossed the device into the business through the broken window, said department spokeswoman Julie Happy. However, a fire did not ignite.

Investigators recovered two 32-ounce white plastic bottles full of isopropyl alcohol with an improvised wick made of brown paper that was soaked in isopropyl alcohol. The evidence was taken to the Washington State Patrol lab in Cheney. Investigators also collected video surveillance footage from Local Canna House and a nearby business, Happy said.

The incident remains under investigation.

Other calls from Aug. 30-Sept. 5

Aug. 30: A woman in the 7300 block of East Utah Avenue called at 7:19 a.m. to report that her dog had chased a cat under a shed and the cat now appeared to be stuck. A crew discovered that the cat was not stuck, just hiding from the barking dog. The woman was advised to put her dog in the house so the cat could come out. A fire alarm sounded at Ross Dress for Less at 10:38 a.m. Shoppers reported sparks coming from an electrical outlet in the floor. The outlet was black and charred and the area was hot. There was no fire. A small brush fire was reported just east of Harvard Road south of the Spokane River at 8:13 p.m. The fire was put out.

Aug. 31: A vehicle reportedly hit a pedestrian in the area of Sprague Avenue and Evergreen Road at 8:22 p.m. The pedestrian was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Sept. 2: A brush fire with torching trees was reported in the 7500 block of East South Riverway Avenue at 10:22 p.m. The fire was put out.

Sept. 3: A structure fire was reported in the area of Vista and Knox at 3:09 a.m. Flames and a burning tree were reported. Crews found an outbuilding on fire when they arrived. The fire was put out before it could spread.

Sept. 5: A vehicle fire was reported in the area of Broadway and Mission avenues at 7:59 p.m. The fire was put out.

By the numbers: Crews responded to 490 calls the week of Aug. 30 to Sept. 5, including 402 calls for emergency medical services. Other calls included 21 fires, 19 vehicle crashes, a 2-year-old accidentally locked inside a car and a backyard fire involving extremely flammable arborvitae bushes that may have been started by a downed power line.