Spokane Valley Fire roundup: Woman may have pulled alarm at hotel during fight
It’s not only calls for medical assistance, fires and vehicle crashes that keep Spokane Valley Fire Department crews busy. Another common call is fire alarm activations, but many of those turn out to be triggered by burnt food, construction dust or some reason other than a fire.
A fire alarm sounded at the Baymont Inn on Argonne Road at 1:54 a.m. on Feb. 5. No fire was immediately visible in the three-story hotel, which prompted firefighters to begin a room-by-room search to find the source of the alarm, which was indicated to be on the third floor.
A thorough search of the third floor yielded nothing, so the search was expanded to the rest of the hotel. When the search was nearly complete, a guest approached firefighters and said he had heard a couple arguing and then saw the woman pull the fire alarm. The alarm system was reset with no other issues.
Other calls from Jan. 31-Feb. 6
Jan. 31: A crew helped push a disabled vehicle that was blocking the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Evergreen Road at 8:05 p.m. Smoke was reported in the area of Sprague Avenue and Argonne Road at 9:52 p.m. A crew found an abandoned campfire and put it out.
Feb. 2: A hit-and-run crash was reported in the 12400 block of East Mansfield Avenue. The driver who remained on scene was not injured.
Feb. 3: Crews were called to the 900 block of North Vercler Road by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office at 12:06 p.m. The deputies reported entering the home and finding the strong odor of natural gas and two stovetop burners on. They turned off the burners before calling firefighters. The gas was then turned off at the meter.
Feb. 4: A vehicle hit a fire hydrant in the area of Euclid Avenue and Eden Street at 1:36 a.m. Witnesses said the driver fled the area. Water was gushing from the hydrant and Consolidated Irrigation District 19 was advised about the leak. A vehicle hit a pedestrian in the intersection of Evergreen Road and Sprague Avenue at 5:47 p.m. The pedestrian said he was not injured.
Feb. 6: A column of smoke was reported in the 19100 block of East Granite at 1:18 p.m. Crews found a legal agricultural burn taking place.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 402 calls the week of Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, including 350 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included 17 car crashes, a fire alarm triggered by burnt food, several illegal yard waste fires and a fire alarm triggered by steam.