Fire crews knock down ‘suspicious’ fires in Latah Valley

At least three “suspicious” fires burned about 4 acres of vegetation midday Tuesday in Spokane’s Latah Valley, according to the Spokane Fire Department.

The fires were reported at about 11:20 a.m. on South Cheney Spokane Road, near Marshall Road, according to the PulsePoint application.

Department spokesman Justin de Ruyter said early Tuesday afternoon that crews had the fires under control and were mopping them up. No structures were damaged.

The potential arson brush fires follow multiple fires that erupted May 25 on the South Hill Bluff near High Drive and Bernard Street.

Fire investigators believe those were intentionally set.

Besides the city fire department, Spokane County Fire District 3 and Washington State Department of Natural Resources responded to the blazes Tuesday. Spokane police and fire as well as DNR are investigating the cause of the fires, according to de Ruyter.

De Ruyter said fires erupted in Latah Valley every week the past three weeks and city firefighters have responded to three to five brush fires per week throughout the city.

He said firefighters have controlled the fires quickly, in part because it’s still early in fire season and fuels are not as dry as they will be soon, “but this is a real problem,” de Ruyter said.

He said lighter, thinner grasses fueled Tuesday’s fires before they burned in “heavier fuels,” which will become more susceptible to ignite as the conditions get hotter and dryer.

After mopping up Tuesday’s fires, crews will continue to check for hot spots for at least a few days, de Ruyter said.