No Injuries, Evening Apartment Fire

Tour Commander, 509.625.7100

Monday, January 9, 2023 at 8:08 a.m.

At 9:04 pm on January 7, 2023, the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) was dispatched to a commercial structure fire at 1724 West 8th Avenue on Spokane's Lower South Hill.

Firefighters arrived within four minutes and discovered smoke and fire from the first floor of a two-story, four-unit apartment building. Firefighters quickly entered the apartment building to extinguish the fire while simultaneously searching for victims. The fire was located primarily in a first-floor apartment unit. However, the fire quickly extended, beginning to involve the basement and the second floor. One adult female occupant, alerted to the fire by the building's alarm system, successfully escaped her second-floor unit before conditions became untenable. She was the only tenant at home when the fire was initially discovered. Firefighters rapidly controlled the fire in the apartment, and the associated extension and damage were primarily limited to the apartment unit of origin.

This fire was controlled, and property loss was limited by the firefighter's efforts, limiting damage to only one unit. 

The apartment building was protected by an alarm system that appropriately alerted the building's occupants and notified Spokane Regional Emergency Communications (SREC) of the fire.

There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters due to this fire. 

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by members of the Spokane Fire Department Special Investigation Unit (SIU).