For Immediate Release:

June 22, 2021

Contact:

Don Kresse

Captain, PIO

Spokane Valley Fire

509-319-6078

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ELDERLY COUPLE NARROWLY ESCAPE HOUSE FIRE

Neighbors assist residents in fleeing blaze

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Spokane Valley Fire Department responded at 7:14 pm to 12103 E.8^th Ave for a reported fully involved structure fire. Callers to 911 from the neighboring residences reported an extremely large fire, with flames from the back of the house as well as numerous trees on fire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first due unit, Valley Engine 7 (VE7) from Station 7 at 12^th and Evergreen was enroute within one minute and twenty-one seconds from time of dispatch.  VE7 reported a significant smoke column and upgraded the call to a working fire, summoning additional resources. Upon arrival, VE7 found a well involved garage fire extending into the living area, with a large body of fire on the back side of the house that had also involved trees in the back yard.  VE7 crews immediately deployed two preconnected 1 ¾” diameter hose lines and began to extinguish the fire as well as hooking into a very conveniently located fire hydrant adjacent to their engine.

The residents had been assisted away from the house by neighbors who had heard the gentleman’s cry for help.   A Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputy moved the couple to across the street for their safety due to the large volume of fire and were attended to by an ambulance crew from American Medical Response as soon as they arrived on scene.  Both residents of the house were transported to Sacred Heart Medical Center for evaluation due to smoke inhalation.

A total of five Engines, two Ladder trucks, three command vehicles and two fire investigators were dispatched, bringing a total of 27 personnel to the scene in order to handle the large number of labor-intensive tasks that need to be accomplished as soon as possible at a working fire. Ladder 8 crews cut two holes in the roof, to let fire, smoke and heat escape from the attic and living areas to facilitate additional crews on the inside during their search of the structure to ensure the house was no longer occupied.  Fire District 8 responded as part of automatic aid, and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and SCOPE units assisted with closing 8^th Ave during the incident.

The fire was contained to the house of origin, not spreading to any nearby structures or vehicles, although trees in the backyard were damaged by the fire.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department would like to remind all residents of the need to have a pre-planned and rehearsed escape route out of the home.  This pre-planning includes an agreed upon meeting place should the unthinkable happen, so that when the fire department arrives, you can let us know if everyone there is out of the house and accounted for.  This information will drive what we actions we take when we arrive, search for missing occupants or firefighting.

 

About Spokane Valley Fire Department
The Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) serves a population of 125,000+ over 75-square miles, including the cities of Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and Millwood, as well as surrounding unincorporated areas. In 2020, our cross-trained Firefighter/EMTs and Firefighter/Paramedics responded to more than 18,700 emergency calls. 

Established in 1940, SVFD is committed to pursuing excellence and is distinguished as an accredited agency by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), and by SVFD’s Class 2 fire insurance rating from the Washington Survey and Rating Bureau