Justin de Ruyter, Spokane Fire PIO, jderuyter@spokanecity.org
Monday, May 19, 2025 at 4:19 p.m.
At 12:19 p.m., Spokane Fire Department crews, with support from Spokane County Fire District 9, responded to reports of an apartment fire at 2937 East Decatur Avenue. While responding, firefighters observed a column of smoke and upgraded the incident to a working commercial fire.
Engine 15 from the Hillyard neighborhood and Engine 2 from the Bemiss neighborhood arrived five minutes later to find flames on a second-floor balcony of a fourplex, with the fire already extending into the shared attic space. Crews quickly knocked down the flames on the balcony, preventing the spread into the living areas. However, the involvement of the attic forced firefighters to ventilate the roof and remove ceilings in the upper units to fully extinguish the fire.
Although the fire was controlled within 15 minutes and no injuries were reported, all four units sustained significant smoke and water damage, rendering them uninhabitable.
The American Red Cross was contacted to assist with temporary housing for six adults and two children displaced by the fire. An investigation determined that the fire was caused by a cigarette improperly discarded into a plastic container on the patio. Breezy conditions contributed to ignition, allowing the fire to spread to the exterior wall and into the attic through a vent.
The Spokane Fire Department reminds residents that cigarettes should always be disposed of in metal containers with lids, approved fire-rated receptacles for smoking materials, or thoroughly soaked in water before being placed in the trash.
