Man treated, released at scene
Brian Schaeffer, Assistant Fire Chief, 509.625.7002
Saturday, April 2, 2016 at 3:41 p.m.
A man escaped a fire in his north side home Saturday afternoon when firefighters enlarged a basement window and pulled him from the house. Fire damaged the home, but the man was treated at the scene and released.
A heavy column of smoke was visible to firefighters as they responded at 12:07 pm to the fire at 115 W Heroy. Initial reports from callers indicated there were people trapped in the basement.
Firefighters found an adult male in the basement on the west side of the home. The man’s hands and face were visible to firefighters, but he was unable to escape the fire through the small window. Crews worked quickly to enlarge the window and used a ladder to help the man safely outside the home.
The fire was brought under control in 25 minutes. The man was treated on-scene, but declined transportation to a hospital. He indicated that he had worked the night before and sleeps during the day. The noise of the fire coming through the ceiling above woke him. His bedroom door was closed and gave him extra time to escape while crews fought to reach him.
Cause of the fire is under investigation. Four remaining family members were at the neighbor's home during the fire. They are being assisted by Red Cross.
