Fatal house fire in Perry District

Cause of fire under investigation

Michele Anderson, Public Safety Communications Manager

Thursday, March 8, 2018 at 11:38 a.m.

An adult female and her dog are deceased after a house fire in the Perry District neighborhood this morning.

Just before 7 a.m., the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) was called to the 700 block of S. Ivory St. for a reported structure fire with an occupant inside the residence, but not answering the door.

First arriving units advised of heavy smoke showing from the attic and eave line of the house. Crews made a rapid entry to search the home and conducted a coordinated attack of the fire. During the search, an adult female was found deceased along with a dog. The initial investigation shows the fire had been burning for quite some time before it was reported.

Unfortunately, there were no working smoking alarms in the residence. SFD wants to remind the community of the importance of having properly installed and maintained smoke alarms as they provide an early warning signal which could allow everyone to safely escape. Homes should have at least one alarm on every level of the home and an alarm outside every sleeping area and inside every bedroom.

The incident caused several street closures in the area while firefighters worked to contain the fire and conduct an investigation.

The home received significant fire damage, burning through the main floor and into the basement. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Spokane Fire Department’s Special Investigation Unit.