Second Alarm Apartment Fire

Tour Commander, 509.625.7100

Monday, August 3, 2020 at 1 p.m.

A tenacious effort by over forty firefighters spared the bulk of a South Hill apartment building this morning. The Spokane Fire Department (SFD) was summoned at 9:18 AM to find fire heavy smoke and fire showing from the third floor of the Maple Manor Apartments located at 1608 West 8th Avenue.  The apartment building contains 7 residential units and was in the process of evacuating as first companies arrived.

Firefighters entered the structure and had to stretch several handlines to the third floor in order to mount a bold assault on the fire.  Simultaneously, other companies provided ventilation of heat and smoke from the roof to stop the horizontal movement of the fire and assist companies on the inside searching for victims. 

Despite intense flames reaching skyward and threatening adjacent residences in the neighborhood, SFD skillfully confined the greater alarm incident to the floor of fire origin, preventing it from consuming less than one-third of the total building.

The fire was extinguished in 45 minutes, and one fire victim was treated for burns and smoke inhalation. The extent of damage, property value, and estimates for the loss prevented are still being calculated and will be shared in a future update.

The incident is under investigation by the SFD’s Special Investigation Unit.