Tour Commander, 509.625.7100
Tuesday, October 29, 2019 at 2:09 p.m.
At 11:35 AM on Sunday (10/27) morning, the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) was dispatched to a fire in a residence located in the 5300 block of North Martin Street. The first company arrived within two (2) minutes and confirmed smoke showing from the eves of the structure, visible from the street.
The tenant had exited safely and reported to firefighters that a fire appeared to be located in the home's attic space. Firefighters entered the structure and immediately searched the main floor and basement. They discovered a small fire in the structure's attic and were able to confine the stop the loss in less than 15 minutes.
The nature of the fire was accidental. The cause was determined to be a result of overloaded wiring in the attic that ignited nearby cellulose insulation. The tenant stated he had replaced a fuse that had repeatedly blown with a larger fuse. The action allowed an overload condition, which caused excess heating, igniting the insulation.
Damage to the strucutre and its contents are estimated to be $25,000. The property and contents saved are likely higher than $250,000. The Greater Inland Northwest Red Cross is assisting the family in their recovery from the incident.
There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters as a result of this fire.
