Spokane Valley Fire roundup: Crews quickly quell fire after neighbor’s call

An neighbor noticed and called in a fire in the 3400 block of North Arden Road at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, allowing Spokane Valley Fire Department firefighters to limit the spread of the fire.

The neighbor called 911 after seeing smoke and flames coming from the side of the home. The residents were not home at the time. Crews put out the flames quickly and limited the fire to one corner of the building, said department spokeswoman Julie Happy.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Also last week, crews from Valley Fire assisted Newman Lake Fire and Rescue with an airplane hangar fire in the 8800 block of North Martinson Lane at 8:51 a.m. on Feb. 22. The weather was extremely cold and windy, which created problems with ice at the fire scene, including frozen fire hose lines, Happy said. The water supply was also limited because of the remote location.

The building was destroyed in the fire and the roof and one wall collapsed. The person who reported the fire said it started because of a problem with a wood stove chimney pipe. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Crews from Kootenai County Fire and Rescue and Hauser Lake Fire also assisted with the fire.

Other calls Feb. 21-27

Feb. 21: Several calls were received about vehicles that slid off Interstate 90; most did not result in injuries. A car crash was reported in the 350 block of North Barker Road at 9:08 p.m. The vehicle was blocking the northbound lanes of Barker and witnesses said the driver had run away.

Feb. 22: A two-vehicle T-bone crash requiring extrication was reported at Felts Road and Eighth Avenue at 7:58 a.m. Crews were able to open the driver’s door without cutting the car open. A fire alarm sounded at Walgreen’s in the 1500 block of North Liberty Lake Road at 2:27 p.m. Crews found fire sprinklers activated in the entryway, but could not find any evidence of smoke or fire. The water to the system was shut off.

Feb. 23: A structure fire was reported in the 3700 block of North Farr Road at 12:05 a.m. The homeowner said she had seen flames coming from a kitchen outlet and the furnace was making a funny noise, so she shut off the power and evacuated. There was no sign of fire and no heat was detected in the outlet or wall. The homeowner was advised to have an electrician inspect the system. Paramedics from the Rescue Task Force were asked to stage at Barker Road and Eleventh Avenue at 6:13 a.m. to assist with a Liberty Lake Police Department search warrant. They were not needed. The Rescue Task Force was activated again at 7:49 a.m. to assist the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office with a SWAT incident near the 550 block of East Rutter Avenue. They were not needed. A fire alarm sounded at Lowe’s in the 5200 block of East Sprague at 12:05 p.m. A sprinkler system had activated because of the cold temperatures and the water was shut off.

Feb. 24: A fire alarm sounded in Building 32 in the 3800 block of North Sullivan Road at 2:02 p.m. The system had activated due to the cold temperatures. A CO alarm sounded in a home in the 600 block of South Chronicle Lane at 3:43 p.m. Crews found levels ranging from 40 to 80 parts per million in the home. Avista could not find a natural gas leak. It was determined that the contamination likely came from a car that was left idling outside the garage door, tail pipe pointed at the garage, for an extended period of time. A reported pistol whipping was reported in the 900 block of North Ella Road at 9:36 p.m.

Feb. 25: A woman was reported to be stuck in an elevator in a building in the 6300 block of East Fourth Avenue at 7:33 a.m. The woman was able to be freed. A FedEx delivery truck and a car collided in the 1400 block of North McDonald Road at 9:37 a.m. No one was injured.

Feb. 27: A car fire was reported at the Rodeway Inn in the 6300 block of East Broadway Avenue at 7 a.m. A Ford minivan parked in the parking lot was on fire when crews arrived. The fire was put out.

By the numbers: Crews responded to 461 calls the week of Feb. 21-27, including 372 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included 22 car crashes, a person stuck in an elevator and a fallen tree that took out power lines to several houses.