SFD Tour Commander, 509.625.7100
Friday, October 11, 2019 at 8:31 a.m.
At 6:42 PM, the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) responded to civilian 911 reports of black smoke emanating from the rear of a residence in the area of the 400 block of east Kiernan. First arriving companies reported a working fire and moved into positions to ensure civilians were out of the residence and to commence firefighting operations.
The fire had quickly entered the attic spaces from the exterior of the structure and, initial efforts to extinguish it from the inside were hampered by tight spaces and homeowner furnishings. Additionally, fire created intensely deteriorating conditions in the interior of the structure, eventually forcing firefighters to withdraw from the building and conduct exterior operations temporarily. The tactic allowed extinguishment of enough of the fire that crews were able to re-enter and fully extinguish the fire in the attic and knee wall void spaces. The fire was safely extinguished within approximately 45 minutes after arrival.
The two adults living in the residence successfully evacuated before SFD arrival. There were neither reports of civilian nor firefighter injuries. The incident remains under investigation by members of the SFD Special Investigation Unit
