Justin de Ruyter, Spokane Fire PIO, jderuyter@spokanecity.org
Thursday, June 5, 2025 at 1:08 p.m.
At approximately 4:09 p.m. yesterday, firefighters were dispatched to the 2500 block of West Gardner Avenue following reports of a porch fire at a residence. Engine 1 and Battalion 2 arrived within four minutes and found a 1½-story home with visible flames from the roof. Neighbors were already attempting to extinguish the porch fire using garden hoses.
Additional fire crews quickly arrived and began a coordinated interior search while other firefighters ventilated the structure by opening portions of the roof and ceiling to access flames spreading through the attic. The fire was controlled within 20 minutes, though the home sustained significant damage.
One adult was transported to the hospital with a knee injury sustained while helping to run a hose to the house. The American Red Cross was contacted to assist two displaced adult residents with temporary housing.
Fire investigators determined that the fire originated when a neighbor dropped a lit cigarette onto the ground, which was covered with a fine layer of Cottonwood pollen. The highly flammable pollen ignited and rapidly spread across the yard, through nearby shrubbery, and onto the porch, eventually extending into the home.
This incident reminds us of the heightened fire risk as we enter wildland fire season. Fine fuels like Cottonwood pollen can ignite with even the slightest spark. Please use extreme caution with smoking materials: constantly monitor them while burning and extinguish them entirely in a certified receptacle, submerged in water, or placed in a non-combustible container with a lid.
