Early Morning Fatality in Spokane's Browne's Addition Neighborhood

Tour Commander, 509.625.7100

Monday, November 14, 2022 at 8:24 a.m.

On Saturday, November 12, 2022, at 3:12 AM, the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) responded to a Civilian Fatality Structure Fire in the 2300 Block of West Pacific Avenue.

The initial 911 call originated from a concerned neighbor who smelled a "really strong chemical smell" and heard what she believed to be an argument, a woman crying, and a sound comparable to someone falling over.

Since the primary complaint was a possible argument, SPD responded initially. When SPD arrived, they reported a similar chemical odor and began investigating with officers on foot. They quickly determined that a unit in the apartment building was on fire and began to look for the source while summoning a first-alarm fire response from the SFD.

When firefighters arrived, they located a woman in cardiac arrest whom SPD Officers pulled from the apartment. Heavy fire was showing from the backside of the apartment building, and arriving companies immediately went to work attempting to resuscitate the adult female rescued from the unit while deploying firefighters to suppress and limit loss from the growing fire.

The swift-moving flames, which spread throughout the back side of the apartment building, were ultimately confined mainly to the unit of origin and extinguished in just 25 minutes. The entire apartment building was evacuated, searched, and all occupants were located and accounted for by firefighters.

During fireground operations, additional Fire and EMS resources were ordered, and the alarm was upgraded to a commercial fire, adding supplementary resources to assist in the search and management of the incident.

One adult female is deceased as a result of this incident. The release of the victim's identification and more details surrounding her death will come from SPD's Major Crimes and the County Coroner. Monetary loss from the fire is still being tabulated. The cause of this early morning blaze remains under active investigation by the Spokane Fire Department's Special Investigation Unit. The presence of smoke alarms and possible functional status and warning role has yet to be determined.

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