Spokane Fire Department stresses importance of functioning smoke detectors after early morning fire

Michele Anderson, Public Safety Communications Manager

Tuesday, January 3, 2017 at 6:30 a.m.

In the early morning hours, crews from the Spokane Fire Department responded to a report of a structure fire in the 1600 block E. Nebraska Ave. in the northeast portion of the city. Engine 15, from the Hillyard neighborhood, was the first fire apparatus to arrive on scene and reported significant smoke conditions from the single family home. The two occupants of the home had escaped prior to the engine's arrival and were in the front yard.

Engine 15 firefighters, assisted by firefighters from Station 2 and Station 13 in the Hillyard and Shadle neighborhoods, aggressively attacked the fire while simultaneously conducting search and ventilation activities. The fire was declared extinguished within 20 minutes of the arrival of fire department apparatus.

The occupants of the home stated that they were alerted to the fire by the smell of smoke. While the home did have smoke detectors, they were not in an operable condition at the time of the fire. There were no reported injuries to firefighters or civilians.

The home sustained significant fire and heat damage to the room of origin as well as smoke damage throughout. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Spokane Fire Department Special Investigation Unit.

The Spokane Department would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of properly functioning and maintained smoke detectors. Along with keeping a supply of fresh batteries on hand for your smoke detectors, the batteries should be changed semiannually at daylight savings time and tested monthly. Were it not for the occupants sleeping in a bedroom with a closed door and awakening to the smell of smoke from the fire, there could have been a much more tragic outcome to this fire.