East Central house fire determined accidental

Michele Anderson, Public Safety Communications Manager

Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 5:28 p.m.

A fire that damaged an East Central home in the 3200 block of N. Regal St. this morning was determined to be accidental.

Fire investigators with the Spokane Fire Department’s Special Investigation say the fire was ignited when plastic furniture was inadvertently placed in contact with a natural gas fueled, free standing fireplace.

At approximately 11:30 a.m., the Spokane Fire Department responded to the home after receiving reports of smoke coming from it. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire and keep it from spreading further. The fire caused moderate damage on the main floor of the home and smoke damage throughout. The home was not occupied at the time of the fire. There were no reported injuries to civilians or firefighters.

The Spokane Fire Department stresses that by following a few simple safety tips and precautions you can prevent most heating fires from happening:

  • Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
  • Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
  • Never use your oven to heat your home.
  • Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
  • Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
  • Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
  • Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
  • Test smoke alarms at least once a month.