Brian Schaeffer, Assistant Chief, 509.625.7002
Thursday, July 24, 2014 at 7:01 a.m.
A storm that moved suddenly through the area on Wednesday prompted hundreds of calls to area fire agencies and is believed to have sparked a fire at a home in northwest Spokane.
Narrative: The Spokane Fire Department and its Combined Communication Center (CCC) were heavily impacted by Wednesday’s storm.
The CCC, which dispatches for the Spokane Fire Department and 14 other fire agencies in Spokane County, received more than 250 calls for service beginning about 3:30 pm Wednesday when the storm first hit the area. Many of the incidents involved power lines and trees down from the high winds. Between 9-1-1 and the CCC, more than 200 calls were received for downed power lines and another 40-50 for fallen trees.
Spokane Fire responded to more than 60 calls beginning at 3:30 p.m., including a structure fire at 3424 W. Lyons. Members of the SFD Special Investigations Unit are investigating the fire, which appears to have started as a result of the storm. The fire in the single family residence did extensive damage to the attic area that has rendered the home uninhabitable.
Damage from the storm has left many trees in unstable conditions and power lines down. SFD wants to remind the public to stay clear of both of these hazards to avoid accident or injury until the hazardous situations are resolved.
Cause: Storm
Damage: Varying degrees of damage occurred throughout the Spokane area as a result of the storm.
