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FIREFIGHTERS EXTINGUISH EARLY MORNING ARGONNE FIRE
For Immediate Release:
October 18, 2019
Contact:
George Hedebeck
Captain, PIO
Spokane Valley Fire
509-319-6078
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Firefighters Extinguish Early Morning Argonne Fire
Traffic restrictions in place for southbound Argonne
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Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) units responded at 4:18 AM to a report of a house fire in the 4300 block of N Argonne. Residents called 911 to report a fire in the home, after awaking to the smell of smoke. Residents’ escape was initially blocked by fire in the living room, and used a secondary exit to leave the home.
SVFD Engine 2 from the Millwood station was first on scene to a small home with heavy smoke and flames showing from the front door and living room window. The response was upgraded to a working fire, bringing a total of 13 fire units and command vehicles to the incident, including automatic aid partners Fire District 9, and the Spokane Fire Dept. Firefighters quickly deployed fire hoses to begin attacking the blaze and a large water supply hose was stretched to the hydrant. E94 performed a quick search of the residence to confirm everyone was safely outside; however, a cat was discovered that did not survive.
Battalion Chief V-21 assumed command of the fire and was able to downgrade the response to just the units on scene, due to the quick knock down of fire by initial arriving firefighters. This downgrade returned units from Spokane Fire and District 9 to their respective areas.
Firefighters had the fire extinguished in under 10 minutes, but remained on scene for several additional hours to due to an electrical hazard in the home delaying investigators from entering safely. The residents were originally alerted to a smell of smoke while sleeping, and awoke to find their living room engulfed in fire. Despite a rapid fire attack, a majority of home suffered fire damage, and cost estimates are unavailable at this time.
The exact fire cause is under investigation. There were no reports of injuries to firefighters; and, the only reportable injury was the feline fatality. An adult occupant was examined by on scene paramedics for smoke inhalation and was not transported. The home’s occupants will be displaced and staying with local relatives in the short term. Assistance was provided by Spokane Valley Police Department for traffic control, Avista for utility control, and a standby ambulance from American Medical Response. Due to the electrical hazard and firefighter safety issues, Argonne was blocked for several hours and was slowly re-opened to traffic during the morning commute.
The Spokane Valley Fire Department would like to remind residents to change the batteries in your smoke detectors when you change your clocks and test them monthly. More than one-third (38%) of home fire deaths result from fires in which no smoke alarms are present.
About SVFD
Spokane Valley Fire Department serves the cities of Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Millwood and the surrounding unincorporated areas of Spokane County with a combined population of 125,000 across 75 square miles. SVFD firefighter crews which include paramedics and EMT’s, responded to more than 17,487 emergency calls in 2018.
Established in 1940, SVFD is an Accredited Agency by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International; and has a class 2 WSRB rating as given by the Washington Survey and Ratings Bureau (WSRB). SVFD is one of four accredited departments in the state and the only accredited department with distinction as a WSRB class 2.
For more information about Spokane Valley Fire Department, visit www.spokanevalleyfire.com.
Follow us @spokanevalleyfire on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.
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Did you Know?
- You can sign up for a station tour. Great for small groups.
- You should replace the batteries in your smoke alarms twice a year.
- Creating a defensible space with regards to wildfires could just save your home or property.
- We have Friends & Family CPR classes every month.
