Tour Commander, 509.625.7100
Monday, May 9, 2022 at 10:01 a.m.
On Saturday at 7:24 PM, the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) was dispatched as an automatic-aid response with the Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) to a significant incident indicating multiple reports of persons trapped in house trailers in the Central Mobile Home Park at 5820 East 4th Avenue. Additionally, SREC 911 received a flurry of calls indicating a tornado caused a "thunderous explosion" that ripped and lifted house trailers, vehicles, and large debris from lots in the park.
Arriving quickly, firefighters from both agencies found missing doors, buckled walls, widely scattered debris, and large portions of trailers blown over or completely overturned. Fortunately, there was no evidence of fire or ruptured gas lines allowing firefighters to focus on searching for victims.
With debris still floating in the air and several large trees falling in roadways and structures, SVFD and SFD crews developed a perimeter for bystander exclusion. They established a command post and ordered the SFD's Technical Rescue Team and multiple ambulances. Swiftly surveying the scene, firefighters quickly accessed the severely damaged trailers and searched for savable victims.
With early reports of potentially injured civilians, firefighters from both agencies worked together to perform a detailed search in the mobile home park and account for all of the community's residents. A fire department presence remained through much of the evening by SVFD and allowed the City resources to return to service.
More information on the weather event(s) responsible for the damage can be found on the National Weather Service-Spokane's webpage. This event occurred outside of our jurisdiction; thus, details concerning injuries, total resources assigned, and specific damage reports can be obtained through the SVFD.
