Justin de Ruyter, Spokane Fire PIO, jderuyter@spokanecity.org
Thursday, November 2, 2023 at 9:17 a.m.
Yesterday evening at 7:20 p.m., your Spokane Fire Department received a call for a house fire at 1419 North Lee St. The initial report indicated that one of the bedrooms was on fire, with the fire spreading to the rest of the house.
Engine 8 reached the scene in just over three minutes. Upon arrival, they observed a residential one-story home with a basement, with flames visible from the front of the house. Fortunately, the occupants had safely evacuated, but they informed our firefighters that three cats remained inside and were unaccounted for.
Additional fire crews arrived and conducted a search to ensure everyone was out of the building and to locate the missing cats. Two of the cats were successfully rescued, but sadly, one of them was found deceased. During the search operation, other firefighters deployed hoses inside to combat the fire while some worked on securing a water supply from a nearby fire hydrant.
The fire had extended into the attic, requiring firefighters to pull down the interior ceiling to reach and extinguish it. They encountered difficulties due to the complex construction of the home, which had undergone various additions and remodels over the years. The fire was finally brought under control at 7:49 p.m.
Given the complexity of the incident, officers from the Spokane Police Department were called to help manage the scene, resulting in the temporary closure of East Mission Ave. Avista Utilities was also contacted to shut off natural gas and electrical utilities to the home.
The American Red Cross was requested to provide assistance, as five adults and one child were displaced by the fire. Fortunately, only one occupant required examination at the scene and did not need medical treatment. At this time, damage and loss estimates are not available, but they are expected to be substantial due to extensive fire and smoke damage throughout the house. Remarkably, there were no injuries to civilians or firefighters during the incident.
The fire is currently under investigation by members of the Spokane Fire Special Investigations Unit.
As we approach our Fall-Back time change this weekend, your Spokane Fire Department would like to remind citizens to check their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms for proper function and battery status. You can test alarms by pressing the "Test" button and confirming if they emit an audible alarm. Additionally, check the date of manufacture, usually located on the back of the alarm. Smoke alarms are effective for ten years from their manufacturing date, while carbon monoxide alarms typically last for 5-7 years.
