Cheney family displaced after house fire; cause under investigation

The Cheney Fire Department extinguished a house fire on Hillview Drive Wednesday night, the cause of which is still under investigation, Fire Chief Tom Jenkins said .

The call came in at about 9:30 p.m. from a resident in an single-family home who thought the fire might have been electrical. Fire crews noticed smoke coming out of the home’s eaves and immediately upgraded it to a working fire, Jenkins said.

Jenkins suspected the fire may have originated from the fireplace.

Nobody was hurt in the fire, but Jenkins said that the family of four who lived in the house has been displaced.

The older home had structural damage to its roof and basement ceiling as well as smoke damage through the house, Jenkins said. Despite the damage, Jenkins said the home was likely salvageable.

The resident contacted the Cheney Fire Department directly and did not call 911. Jenkins said all fires should be reported via 911 because his department isn’t always able to take phone calls due to its size.

Jenkins also said he was thankful for the resources and help from Spokane Fire District 3 and the Airway Heights Fire District.