Justin de Ruyter, Spokane Fire PIO, jderuyter@spokanecity.org
Wednesday, July 9, 2025 at 5:09 p.m.
Spokane firefighters have responded to a surge of suspicious fires over the past 36 hours, with 15 incidents reported throughout the city.
Early Morning Fires on July 8
The first fire was reported just after midnight on July 8, 2025, in front of the Red Wagon in Riverfront Park. Fire crews arrived to find landscaping bushes that flames had scorched.
At 4:17 a.m., a second fire was reported outside My Fresh Basket, located at 1030 W Summit Parkway. Firefighters discovered an exterior blaze that the building's sprinkler system had contained.
By 4:49 a.m., Engine 1 responded to two more fires near E. Spokane Falls Blvd and N. Pine Street—one burning in bushes and another that had damaged an EV charging station.
At 5:14 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to the area of S. Sherman Street and S. Sheridan Avenue following reports of visible smoke and flames on a building's exterior. Crews arrived to discover two separate homes actively burning, along with several smaller fires scattered across a two-block radius. The following addresses were affected in this concentrated area:
Afternoon Field and Brush Fires
Later in the afternoon, with assistance from Spokane County Fire District 9, crews extinguished a grass fire in a field between two homes in the 6200 block of N. Atlantic Street.
At 2:31 p.m., multiple callers reported two brush fires along the Centennial Trail in the 2800 block of W. Elliot Drive. On arrival, firefighters discovered a third fire and upgraded the response to a Second Alarm. While battling these fires, crews located a fourth blaze that had spread rapidly uphill toward Spokane Falls Community College, prompting a Level 3 Evacuation Order for the immediate area.
With support from Spokane County Fire District 10 and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR)—which deployed a helicopter—firefighters spent over three hours working to bring the fires under control.
Overnight and Morning Fires on July 9
At 1:23 a.m. this morning, a fire was reported near N. Ash Place and W. Euclid Avenue. A significant response was dispatched, and firefighters arrived to find a fast-moving fire on a hillside, threatening nearby homes. Crews quickly positioned themselves near the homes and successfully controlled the fire within 20 minutes.
At 9:01 a.m., multiple units responded to People's Park in the 2900 block of W. Riverside Avenue. A 50-by-50-foot area of grass and trees was actively burning when crews arrived. With the help of the DNR, firefighters brought the blaze under control in 20 minutes.
No Injuries, Investigation Ongoing
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported in connection with any of the fires. All evacuees were allowed to return to their homes by early evening.
Investigators from the Spokane Police Department and the Washington State DNR are leading the investigation into the fires. For information about potential suspects, refer to previous SPD releases related to the early morning fires of July 8. Any information related to these fires should be reported to Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.
