Tour Commander, 509.625.7100
Friday, February 18, 2022 at 9:28 a.m.
On February 17, 2022, at 8:54 AM, the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) was dispatched to the 4500 Block of North Crestline Street to a seemingly routine problem with the home's furnace generating smoke. The first company arrived quickly, and as they were positioning, the officer observed a large amount of smoke emanating from the residence, prompting an upgrade to a full alarm.
Subsequent arriving companies joined the firefighting efforts and were able to locate a hidden fire spreading quickly in a vertical concealed space created by construction. The vertical channel was designed to contain household electrical wires which fed areas in the home with power. Using thermal imaging to lead their efforts, firefighters accessed the channel and successfully stopped the fire's forward progression.
Loss to the residence was stopped within ten minutes. The resulting damage from the fire included moderate to heavy fire damage to the home's rear wall on both the first and second floors with accompanying moderate smoke damage. The cause of the fire was overheated electrical wiring.
Media Educational Message: A qualified professional should do electrical work only. Call a qualified professional if you are having recurring problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers, experiencing a tingling feeling when you touch an electric appliance or have flickering lights. Major appliances (such as refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, dryers, window air conditioning units, etc.) should be plugged directly into a wall outlet. Extension cords should not be used for major appliances, as they can quickly overheat and start a fire. Small devices should be plugged directly into wall outlets and unplugged when not in use. Wall outlets and light switches should be covered with plates to prevent shocks. Replace wall outlets if plugs-ins do not fit snugly in the outlet. Only buy appliances and other electronics that a qualified testing laboratory lists. This is especially important to be mindful of when shopping online. Be sure to check electrical cords often. Cords that are cracked, damaged or loose should be replaced.
