Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Bruce Moline/Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 12/28/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 5008 N. Allen place
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99205

NARRATIVE: On 12/28/07 at 2:43 P.M. the Spokane Fire Department responded 3 engine companies, 1 pumper ladder company, 1 rescue company, 2 battalion chiefs and an assistant chief to a house fire located at 5008 N. Allen place. Fire crews found a fire in the attic that had been burning for a long period of time. All of the occupants had safely evacuated and the fire was contained within 5 minutes. The fire was electrical in origin and the occupants confirmed that they had been experiencing trouble with a number of electrical circuits within the home. As soon as smoke was detected, the occupants placed a call to the 911 center. Because of their quick action in placing this call, fire damage was kept to a minimum. Fire crews remained at the home for 1 ½ hours extinguishing "hot spots" and cleaning up fire debris. All of the electrical circuits are shut down and will remain so until they can be repaired and inspected. The occupants will be staying with other family members until the home is approved for occupancy. Fire damage was confined to wooden structural components in the attic, insulation, and ceiling. A total of 15 firefighters and 3 command officers responded to this alarm.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Electrical.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Fire damage to the attic, insulation and ceiling system.
DOLLAR LOSS: 15,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 15
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Battalion Chief Bob Green
DATE OF INCIDENT: 12/24/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 2022 N Dakota
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99205

NARRATIVE: The Spokane City Fire Dept. responded fire fighting apparatus and crews to 2022 N Dakota at 0016 hrs. on the 24th of December for a reported structure fire. Initial reports from the first arriving crew indicated heavy smoke issuing from the front door and eaves of a 1.5 story wood/frame residence. Next arriving crews, arriving from different directions, reported fire blowing out the rear of the building from a small "dormer" window located at the attic level. Quick and aggressive actions by the crews at the scene resulted in a fairly quick knock down of the fire as they forced entry through the front door, extinguished the main body of fire burning on the first floor, and pushed the fire burning in the stairway leading to the attic out the "dormer" window. While specific fire crews were attacking and extinguishing the fire inside, other crews were doing a primary and a secondary search of the interior of the residence to insure that none of the tenants were trapped inside, and still other fire crews were assigned to be in position on the roof should conditions warrant cutting ventilation holes in the roof to release pent up smoke and gases. The searches that were conducted revealed that no one was at home at the time of the fire, their actual location is still not known but during the Holiday Season many folks travel to be with family and friends outside of the Spokane area. The damage caused by this early morning fire was extensive, nearly every room on the main floor sustained fire damage and the stairway and the attic were also heavily damaged. There were no reports of any injuries to the firefighters at the scene. Fire crews remained at the scene assisting the Fire Investigator as he worked to determine the cause of the fire until 0330 hrs. Six pieces of fire apparatus and their crews were dispatched to this fire along with two Battalion Chiefs in their Command vehicles and the on-duty Fire Investigator from the Fire Dept.'s Special Investigation Unit. At the time of this media release the cause of the fire has not been determined.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Unknown at this time, still being investigated.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Heavy fire damage to all rooms and their contents on the first floor. The attic space and the stairway leading up to the attic were also seriously damaged. The main structural members of the house received minimal damage.
DOLLAR LOSS: 50,000.00
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 23
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Santa Smith knockout makes CNN...

I hope this hasn't started some new kind of gang initiation.

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Bruce Moline/Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 12/14/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 1207 E. Queen
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99207

NARRATIVE: On 12/13/07 at 11:39 P.M. the Spokane Fire Department responded 4 engine companies, 2 ladder companies, a rescue company and one battalion chief to a fire in a motor home located behind a residence at 1207 E. Queen. First in units discovered a 20 foot motor home fully involved with flame extension involving a nearby wood frame dwelling about 10 feet away. A rapid deployment of hose lines including roof ventilation by ladder companies was conducted as were search operations to make sure everyone inside the house was safely evacuated. It took firefighters 10 minutes to contain the fire in the motor home and the dwelling. As a result of their actions, firefighters were able to keep damage to the dwelling to a minimum as only the exterior siding and a portion of the roof were damaged. The motor home was a total loss. A total of 23 firefighters responded on this alarm. There were no injuries to firefighters or civilians. The fire at this time is under investigation by the Spokane Fire Department Special Investigations Unit under the direction of Capt. Kevin Smathers. Firefighters remained on the scene for 2 hours completing final extinguishment and mop up duties. The dwelling was occupied by 3 people and they will be able to remain at the home.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Under investigation at this time.
DAMAGE EXTENT: The motor home was a total loss. The dwelling sustained fire damage to the siding and a small portion of the roof.
DOLLAR LOSS: 20,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 23
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Brian Schaeffer, Assistant Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 12/13/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 10305 North Moore Street
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99208

NARRATIVE: On Thursday, December 13, 2007 at 5:17 PM, 5 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 3 Engines, 1 Senior Ladder and 1 Heavy Rescue under the direction of Battalion Chief Moline responded to a reported house fire at 10305 North Moore Street.

The first company (Engine 17) arrived within four minutes to discover heavy smoke and fire showing from a two-story, single family wood framed house with multiple exposures. Initial companies immediately upgraded the alarm to a "working fire" which added and additional Engine and support for the operation. Off-duty Battalion Chief Fielder was the initial incident commander as lives in the neighborhood. He assisted the initial crews assemble their equipment and coordinated their efforts.

Despite the safeguards in-place on scene, a two-person team of firefighters working on the first floor under heavy fire conditions experienced a partial fall into the basement when a section of flooring above the main fire collapsed beneath them. The company was in communication with the incident commander and they were able to exit the structure together to guarantee their accountability. Within minutes of the report, all firefighters were accounted for safely through the SFD's passport accountability system. The firefighters were briefly evaluated and returned to the fireground within minutes.

Notwithstanding the extreme cold and heavy snow, the fire was reported out nearly an hour into the incident. There were no injuries to civilians and minor injuries to a firefighter.

PROBABLE CAUSE: The fire originated in the basement and grew, undetected, for a significant amount of time. The family was home at the time of the fire, however were separated from the area of origin. The cause of the fire was determined to be an overloaded electrical outlet in the basement. Large amounts of combustibles fueled the fire and it spread rapidly causing significant damage to the first and second floors. A smoke detector was located on the second floor; however none were operating in the basement.
DAMAGE EXTENT: There is considerable damage throughout all floors due to heat and rapid fire promulgation. The most damage, however, is in the basement and first floor. The home is not able to be reoccupied and utilities have been disconnected.
DOLLAR LOSS: 250,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 21
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Spokane Garage Fire Featured on Jimmy Kimmel

This is from early November. His monologue regarding the fire starts at 6:30 on the timer. After you hit the "play" icon, you can drag the cursor to -3:20 and that should get you there.

Fire Press Release

SSUING OFFICER: Batt. Chief Craig Cornelius
DATE OF INCIDENT: 11/28/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 3010 W.
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99201

NARRATIVE: On November 28, 2007, at 0758 hours the Spokane Fire Department dispatched 6 fire apparatus and 22 personnel for a reported fire at the Taco Bell located at 3010 East 29th Ave. Employees had called 911 after smelling smoke inside the restaurant. Engine 14 arrived within 4 minutes and reported smoke inside the structure. Engine 14 extended a pre-connected hose line inside and assigned work to the other incoming apparatus. Fire was located in a Heating / Air Conditioning unit on the roof and attic ductwork below the unit. The fire was controlled within 10 minutes, but several units worked at the scene for well over an hour.

There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters at this incident. The quick actions of the workers and firefighters minimized fire damage at this location. Taco Bell should be back in business within a few days as damaged was confined to a small portion of the building in the restaurant's storage area. The fire cause appears to be related to a malfunctioning mechanical part inside the Heating unit on the roof.

PROBABLE CAUSE: Mechanical Malfunction
DAMAGE EXTENT: HVAC unit and attic ductwork.
DOLLAR LOSS: 10000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 22
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Mike Inman / Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 11/24/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 926 E. 8th Ave.
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99201

NARRATIVE: At 11:13 am the Spokane Fire Department was called to the Hifumi En (pronounced hi-fu-me in) apartments at 926 E. 8th Ave. in Spokane Washington. A fire was reported in apartment number 111. The first Engine Company on scene reported smoke and fire and initiated the fire attack using a 1 ¾ inch hose line. The initial response of 5 Engines, 1 Ladder truck, 1 Rescue unit and 1 Battalion Chief was supplemented by an additional Engine and Pumper ladder that were requested due to the number of units and potential rescues in this facility. Heavy black smoke and heat were encountered by the crews in the hallways of the 1st floor. Some of the residents had gotten themselves out of the building but fire crews were instrumental in get the rest out of dangerous conditions. The primary focus for the Firefighters was getting the people out. Because of this there were no reported injuries. Many of the residents have special needs and due to the needs of the residents 2 Engine Companies were assigned the job of getting medicines and medical equipment out of the unaffected apartments for the residents. The Spokane Transit Authority sent a bus for the displaced residents to get out of the sub freezing weather. Red Cross was notified of the displaced residents and sent a team to assist where they could. The fire did minimal damage with significant damage to the room of origin and heavy damage in the hallways due to smoke and heat. The fire was determined to be accidental and the building was released back to the housing authority.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Accidental using incense.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Completly destroyed one apartment damaged a second and smoked up all of the hallways.
DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 30
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Joel Fielder/Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 11/24/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 1514 West 9th Avenue
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP:

NARRATIVE: This morning, November 24, 2007 the Spokane Fire Department responded at approximately 12:13 AM to 1514 West 9th Avenue on a reported structure fire. Fire crews responding to this incident report fire showing from several blocks away. The first crew on-scene reported fire coming from the top floor of a 2-1/2-story, wood framed apartment building with 3 civilians trapped on the roof. All three civilians and their dog were rescued from the roof by Fire Station 4 personnel using their Ariel ladder. During the rescue operation other fire fighters aggressively attacked the fire from the interior of the structure and from an outside fire escape. The fire had extended into the attic and a ventilation hole was cut in the roof to relieve the pent up heat and smoke in the apartment on the top floor to aid in fire attack. The fire was brought under control within 40 minutes and crews remained on scene for the rest of the morning. Of the three civilians rescued from the roof two were treated and released from a local hospital with minor burns and smoke inhalation and the third person was reported to have been transport to the Harbor View Burn Center and his condition is not known at the time of the this release. The remaining tenants of the structure are being assisted by Red Cross. There were no reported injuries to firefighters.
PROBABLE CAUSE: The cause of the fire is under investigation by Fire Investigator, Captain Kevin Smathers and he may be contacted at 625-7052
DAMAGE EXTENT: Fire damage was confined to the third floor and the attic.
DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 36
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Joel Fielder/Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 11/23/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 1511 West Gardner
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP:

NARRATIVE: This afternoon, November 23, 2007 the Spokane Fire Department responded at approximately 12:39 PM to 1511 West Gardner on a reported structure fire. Fire crews responding to this incident report smoke showing from several blocks away. The first crew on-scene reported smoke coming from the eaves of a 1-1/2-story, wood framed residence with fire showing from a window on the main floor at the back of the house. Fire fighters aggressively attacked the fire from the interior of the structure however they encountered a large volume of household goods and belongings that had been collected and stored through out the house that made fire attack extremely difficult. The fire had extended into the second floor and then into the attic as fire crews were able to find the stair way door leading to the upstairs. The fire crews were withdrawn from the structure due to safety concerns and fire attack transitioned to a defensive position. Once the fire vented completely through the roof fire crews were able to safely re-enter the structure for final extinguishment and salvage and overhaul. The owner was not home at the time of the fire however the family dog was found insdie the house near the front door by fire crews and was in respiratory distress. Oxygen was supplied to the dog via a special pet oxygen mask carried by the fire department and the dog was revived. There were no reported injuries to civilians or firefighters. Nine fire companies with 28 firefighters responded to this fire and were on scene for approximately 3 hours
PROBABLE CAUSE: The cause of the fire is under investigation by Fire Investigator, Captain Kevin Smathers and he may be contacted at 625-7052.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Fire damage was confined to the first and second floor with heat and smoke damage to the rest of the structure.
DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 28
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Newsletter Deadline

Monday, December 3rd.

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Joel Fielder/Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 11/20/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 1604 E. Pacific
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP:

NARRATIVE: Today, November 20, 2007, the Spokane Fire Department responded at 05:48 AM to 1604 East Pacific on a reported structure fire. The first crew on-scene reported smoke showing from the front door of a, 1-story, brick house. An aggressive interior attack by on scene fire crews confined the majority of fire to a bedroom in the basement with smoke damage through out the house. Crews completed a primary search of the residence and the house was found unoccupied. The fire was brought under control within 20 minutes and there were no reported injuries to firefighters.
PROBABLE CAUSE: The cause of the fire is under investigation by Spokane Fire Investigator Greg McClatchey and he can be contacted at 625-7052.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Damage was confined to the basement and the main floor.
DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 28
MUTUAL AID: None Given

9-1-1 Calls - from the Tonight Show...

Working Class Heroes Bar on Monroe

Great union meeting last night. Among other things, we learned that Working Class Heroes on Monroe likes us. They are offering discounts when you show your FF ID. They are a pro-union bar. In fact, the owner (a former union worker and union organizer) is helping the workers organize into a union. We think it may be the only union bar and grill in Spokane. Apparently, the food is good and they have a lot of microbrews on tap. The only time I've been in there is on calls. It is always really clean with a good, friendly crowd. Anyway, just thought I'd pass that on.

E-Board Candidate Letter

Re-Elect Darryl Wisniewski
For Executive Board

The Executive Board has been a fulfilling position for me to hold. The people who know me personally know how passionate I can be about the topics that come up from time to time. I can be, what some would call, hard headed at times, but I am willing to try to see the other side of the coin and get the job done. Some of the things that I would like to see happen in the near future are:

• Wild Land mobilization
• A new LEOFF II law for medical
• Continued active participation in the political arena
• Future Improvements in our contract language

I am asking for your vote, so I can continue to work hard for my brothers and sisters to better our job and our futures.

Please VOTE Darryl Wisniewski

November newsletter is out

Those of you who get it emailed to you should now have it. If you would like it emailed to you, let me know - billfoss@comcast.net

The newsletter will be posted soon on the local's website, I am told.

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Mike Inman / Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 11/12/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 4004 E. 29th Ave.
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99223

NARRATIVE: At 1028 pm November 12, 2007 the Spokane Fire Department dispatched 3 Engines, 1 Ladder Truck, 1 Pumper Ladder, 1 Rescue Unit and 2 Battalion Chiefs to a reported house fire at 4004 E. 29th Ave. in Spokane Washington. Upon arrival Engine 14 reported heavy smoke from the structure with the occupants outside on the sidewalk. A second report indicated that heavy fire was coming out of the back of the house. A quick attack by the first two fire apparatus on scene knocked the main body of the fire down with two 1 ¾" attack lines and additional crews did a search of the house to make sure everybody had gotten out. As more crews arrived a thorough overhaul was initiated looking for extension of the fire into the structure. No extensions were found and the fire was reported to be out within 30 minutes. The fire crews assisted the tenants by retrieving personal items and medications prior to allowing them back in. Gas and electrical utilities to the house were shut off for safety reasons. The house, a rental, suffered significant damage to the kitchen with heavy heat and smoke damage to the rest of the houses main floor. Due to the quick thinking of the residents, one adult and one child, they closed their bedroom doors when exiting the house and suffered no smoke or heat damage to their rooms or their contents. Heat in the hallway was so intense that the smoke detector on the ceiling was destroyed and laying on the floor. The residents were awakened by a loud pop and discovered the fire in the kitchen area. There were no civilian or Firefighter injuries associated with the fire. A fire investigator was called to determine the origin of the fire and Red Cross was called to assist the displaced residents. The only known casualty of the fire was a family pet. It is important to remember to keep doors in the house shut to slow down or stop the spread of the fire and make sure smoke detectors are working. Get yourself out of the structure and wait for the Fire Department, it is very hazardous to reenter a burning structure or delay getting out to save contents.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Under investigation
DAMAGE EXTENT: Significant damage to the kitchen with heavy smoke and heat damage throughout the rest of the main floor. Both bedrooms and the bathroom sustained little or no damage due the closing of the doors prior to exiting the house.
DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 21
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Bruce Moline/Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 11/10/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 4328 N. Havana
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99223

NARRATIVE: On 11/10/07 at 6:43 A.M. the Spokane Fire Department responded 21 firefighters on 6 pieces of fire equipment to a report of a house on fire at 4328 N. Havana. Fire crews discovered a large two story home with fire enveloping the front porch area and extending to the porch roof above. Crews were successful in keeping the fire out of the interior of the home and quickly brought the fire under control within 5 minutes. Crews remained on the scene for approximately 2 hours making sure the fire was dead out. This activity involved the crews cutting apart the porch roof and using their thermal imaging camera to ensure that any embers remaining were thoroughly extinguished. No one was present at the home while firefighters were on the scene. A fire department investigator is currently looking into the cause of the fire. At this time, it appears that the fire began on the porch floor outside the home. This investigation will continue throughout the day. There were no injuries to firefighters at this incident. The dwelling sustained heavy fire damage to the front porch and roof areas. There was also smoke damage throughout the structure.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Under investigation by Spokane Fire Department investigators.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Heavy fire damage to the front porch and porch roof. Smoke damage throughout the interior of the home.
DOLLAR LOSS: 10,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 21
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Beating the odds!

Thanks to Frank W. for this picture that really illustrates the difference in campaign funding. Also, if you see any Mary Verner signs out there on public property, feel free to pull them. They are being collected at the union office.

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Battalion Chief Craig Cornelius
DATE OF INCIDENT: 11/8/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: E. 222 Hoffman Ave
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99201

NARRATIVE: On November 8, 2007 at 2313 hours, the Spokane Fire Department received a call for a reported garage fire. The Combined Communication Center dispatched 6 fire apparatus to E. 222 Hoffman Ave. Pumper Ladder 13 arrived on the scene within 5 minutes. Lt. Jamie Newcomb reported that he had a fully involved detached garage fire and was assuming Command. Lt. Newcomb's crew advanced pre-connected hose lines to extinguish the fire while he directed the other incoming fire apparatus and personnel. The firefighters under the direction of Lt. Newcomb knocked down the fire within six minutes. The crews protected several cars that were parked near the garage and one exposure building to the east.

There were no injuries reported at this fire. A good deal of material was stored inside the garage and fire crews are expected to be on the scene for several hours removing the fire debris. The fire cause is still undetermined at this time. Early indicators are directing us towards an old wood stove that had been in use earlier this evening.

PROBABLE CAUSE: Still under investigation.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Total Loss to garage structure
DOLLAR LOSS: 20,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 24
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Congratulations Mayor Mary!

Great news for all of Spokane.

Hession prohibits media from his election night festivities...

Excluding people to the bitter end. At least he's consistent.

Mary Verner Election Night Gathering

If you helped with Mary's campaign and want to be with her when the election results come in, be at the Red Lion River Inn, 700 N Division, at 7:30 PM On Tuesday, November 6th, to wait for the election results. There will be snacks, drinks, and a no-host bar available.

FIre Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Bruce Moline
DATE OF INCIDENT: 11/2/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 3928 N. Elm
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99205

NARRATIVE: On 11/02/07 at 7:51 A.M. the Spokane Fire Department responded 18 firefighters on 3 engine companies, 1 ladder company, 1 pumper ladder company, 1 rescue unit and 2 battalion chiefs to 3928 N. Elm on a report of a structure fire. First in crews found a basement fire in progress. After stretching hose lines and ventilating windows, crews were able to search the entire dwelling and knock down the fire after approximately 15 minutes. There was one occupant present at the time of the fire and he made his way to safety on his own. Apparently, this occupant was sleeping when he heard the sound of something "breaking". This sound woke him and he then made his exit out of the house. The breaking sound turned out to be a glass aquarium that was in the basement. The glass became heated due to the close proximity of the fire and then shattered. After the fire was extinguished, it was found that there weren't any smoke detectors present. The public should be reminded that the fire department recommends a smoke detector on every level of the home outside sleeping areas including one inside each bedroom as well. Soon, we will be changing our clocks 1 hour back to standard time. This is also an excellent time to also check the condition of your smoke detectors. Please make sure they have fresh batteries and are in good working order. There were no injuries reported at this fire, however there were numerous tropical fish that perished because of the aquarium breaking and the heat of the fire. The Red Cross is assisting the family with lodging, clothing and food. The cause of this fire was found to be an overloaded circuit. The aquarium lighting system, pump and other accessories were found to be plugged into an electrical power strip along with other items plugged into this same strip. This exceeded the rated amperage of the circuit which caused excessive heat and ignited nearby combustibles. Damage to the basement was extensive and consisted of heat, water and smoke damage. The first floor above sustained heavy smoke damage as well. When using appliances, make sure of the circuit amperage ratings and never exceed them. If you would like more information on this incident please call the battalion chief office at 509-625-7020 or the investigation division at 509-625-7052 or 509-625-7053.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Overloaded electrical circuit. Nearby combustibles.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Extensive heat, smoke and water damage to the basement. Heavy smoke damage to the main level. There was also significant damage to furnishings and clothing.
DOLLAR LOSS: 50,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 18
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Two fire press releases from last night...

ISSUING OFFICER: Ken Kirsch/Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 10/31/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 2024 E. Sharp
CITY: Spokane
STATE: Wa
ZIP:

NARRATIVE: On Wednesday, 10/31/07, at approximately 0149 hrs units of the City of Spokane Fire Department responded to 2024. E Sharp upon report of a structure fire. First arriving SFD units found light smoke coming from the front door of a one story, wood-frame, single- family residence. Firefighters advanced a pre-connected hose-line in the front door of the home and found a rapidly advancing fire in the kitchen. While hose-lines were advanced into the structure, other SFD crew members laddered the roof in case ventilation was needed, checked the residence for any other fire areas, and checked the attic to assure the fire had not extended to that area. First arriving crews also determined that all occupants of the home had escaped safely. The main body of fire was eventually confined to the kitchen area. The fire was knocked down within 10 minutes with overhaul of the fire area continuing for another 45 minutes. The Red Cross was requested to the scene to work with the occupants of the home as they will be displaced for at least the night. Fire crews remained on scene for approximately two hours. A total of 24 firefighters on 9 trucks battled this blaze. No injuries were reported to either firefighters or civilians.
PROBABLE CAUSE: The cause of this kitchen fire was a pan catching on fire on the stove top. One of the tenants had put a pan with oil in it on the stove and it eventually ignited. The fire then spread from the pan to surrounding cup-boards and wall surfaces.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Damage to the home included fire and heat damage to the kitchen and nearby eating area, as well as smoke damage to the rest of the home. Some water damage was also evident. Total dollar loss is approximately $10,000.
DOLLAR LOSS: 10,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 24
MUTUAL AID: None Given



ISSUING OFFICER: Joel Fielder/Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 10/31/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 1417 West Cleveland
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP:

NARRATIVE: This morning, October 31, 2007 the Spokane Fire Department responded at approximately 3:32 AM to 1417 West Cleveland. The first crew on-scene reported smoke coming from the eaves of a 2-story, wood framed residence with fire showing from a second floor bedroom. Fire fighters aggressively attacked the fire from the interior of the structure while additional fire crews completed search and rescue, roof ventilation and salvage and overhaul. The fire was brought under control within 20 minutes. There were no reported injuries to civilians or firefighters. 9 fire companies with 28 firefighters responded to this fire and were on scene for approximately 2.5 hours. The occupants of the residence were alerted to the fire by their smoke detectors and were able to exit the structure safely.
PROBABLE CAUSE: The cause of the fire is under investigation by Fire Investigator Tom Oliver and he may be contacted at 625-7051
DAMAGE EXTENT: Fire damage was confined to the second floor with heat and smoke damage to a hallway leading to the upstairs.
DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 28
MUTUAL AID: None Given

"Show Me The Money...!"

I just checked with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission this morning.
www.pdc.wa.gov/

In 2007 Dennis Hession spent the following on Consultants & managers:
Polis Political Services - $17,500.00 (Olympia, WA)
Alliance Pacific, Inc - $43,489.36
Chelsea Wood - $12,290.00
I quit looking after this. This total is $73,179.63
There could be more, but some items don't have an explanation for the expense

In 2007 Mary Verner spent the following on Consultants & managers:
I went over this twice and couldn't find anything listed for consultation or management, so I leave that to you to search.

It doesn't take a genius to see that Mary makes her own "tough decisions" and Dennis Hession has someone else make his "tough decisions."

P.S. This doesn't count what Dennis Hession spent on consultants to make the spin or "tough decisions": on firing Jack Lynch & explaining the boondoggle know as the Matrix Study.

Doug Bacon

Mary Verner Puzzle Commercial!

If you've seen the Dennis Hession TV attack ad - "Mary Verner's a Puzzle," you probably are asking yourself these questions - "Did Hession really hire an Olympia PR firm to come up with these lame ads? What did he do with the rest of the money Avista gave him?"

Not only are these ads poorly done, there is nothing imaginative about them. Just the same old precanned attack stuff that any ad agency has sitting on the shelf. Only they forgot that after you attack your opponent you're supposed to tell why you are the better alternative. Well maybe they didn't forget. Maybe they just didn't have anything to say.

Dennis, not only have these ads backfired on you - you wasted Avista's money!

But, it is fun to see someone turn the attack ad on its head and come up with this positive ad I'm featuring in this post. It must have been fun to take Hession's gift of the "Mary Verner's a Puzzle" commercial and come up with this.

You probably won't see this on TV because Mary doesn't have that kinda cash. Dennis had to borrow money to get his on the air and Mary is a little more fiscally conservative than him, I guess. Anyway, enjoy!

Very cool video from Dean Pearcy

This is the intro video from the awards presentation put together by our AV guy Dean Pearcy. There are other videos available to watch on this "channel," as well. Enjoy.

Welcome to All!

When this blog first appeared, we had a lot of interested citizens tuning in. Now, thanks to the local media outlets, many of you are visiting the Local 29 blog for the first time. Welcome!

This election season has been interesting - for sure. Perhaps you've read snippets of Local 29 blog entries in the paper or on the news. If you like, you can check out these entries and see how attempts have been made to take things out of context (quite clumsily I might add). You can see the parts that have been left out (no simple story if you paint a complete picture of your "villain," I guess).

Thanks to the broadcast media, we have had a record number of "hits" (as the kids say). There are some misconceptions and news blackouts around some issues that are near and dear to us. And for those of you who are tuning in from these media sites, here are a few:

1. Mayor Hession says the union doesn't support him, but firefighters do. Shortly, we'll have a poll that either verifies or negates his claim - stay tuned. Dennis also said we didn't support him because he is a "tough negotiator." Funny, we hadn't negotiated with him! We don't support Dennis simply because he ignored our warnings about ambulance overbilling and other issues. We tried for a very long time to warn his administration about problems with AMR overbilling. He ignored us. We aren't worth listening to. Even when citizens have contacted us with their concerns to take to him - he won't listen. Mary Verner joined with us in our fight to expose the problems - and Hession's administration fought us in this quest for the truth.

2. Candidate XXX says he/she will fire the Fire Chief and that's why the union is backing this candidate. Hopefully when you peruse this blog, you will see that, for the most part, the union and the fire administration get along fairly well. Most of the time are goals are concurrent. Are there times when we disagree? You bet! But, we always work things out. I believe that we are all united in trying to provide the best service and protection for the citizens of Spokane. I'm not privvy to everyone's conversations with candidates, but why would we want to see anyone "fired"?

3. Giveback Days. We overwhelmingly voted, a couple of years ago, to work 24 hours for free each year for two years. Despite press releases and personal notes to the news media, to my knowledge, this has never been reported. One wonders why.

4. Our lost positions. I believe the number is 40. A few years back we had layoffs and staff reductions from attrition. The Spokesman-Review reports that due to Hession's financial acumen, he has created new fire positions. This is not true. We have hired 6 new firefighters to replace 6 retirees. But we're still down the 40 or so. No new positions. No return to previous staffing levels. Over 20 years, our call volume has more than doubled, while the number of firefighters has been reduced by 20%. Not good news for those of us who live in the city.

5. KREM News reported the other day that the two leading campaign donors for either Hession or Verner was our union and the city employee's union. This was wrong. Avista had us both beat in contributions to Hession's campaign. An interesting mistake.

OK, I didn't mean to bore you. You've read the quotes in the paper and heard them on yack radio, read for yourself what was written. If you have any questions, my email address is on the side. You are welcome to leave comments, as well.

Thanks again!

Press Release for Awards Ceremony

ISSUING OFFICER: Brian Schaeffer, Assistant Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 10/19/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Information
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 44 West Riverside
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99201

NARRATIVE: Last night, the Spokane Fire Department honored our own personnel and special community heroes during the 1st Annual Meritorious Awards Ceremony.

The following personnel were recognized for their recent promotions within the calendar year: Captain Jim Schaffer, Captain Ben Olson, Deputy Fire Marshal Brett Hatcher, Deputy Fire Marshal Tom Yergen and Deputy Fire Marshal Mike Miller

The citizen and Spokane City personnel listed below were honored for the following awards:

Jack Schoonover, a resident from Idaho, was recognized for an incident on June 16 when the vehicle he was driving (a tractor trailer carrying 4000 gallons of gasoline) was struck in the rear of the trailer by a passenger car which resulted in leaking gasoline and a subsequent fire. Realizing the immediate danger to the occupants of the vehicle and nearby businesses, Mr. Schoonover immediately moved the tractor trailer to a less-populated area and positioned it in the center of Ruby allowing fire crews to make a safe attack on the fire. Mr. Schoonover was directly responsible for preventing a catastrophe which may have resulted in severe property damage and probable fatalities and was awarded the CITIZEN COMMUNITY LIFE SAVING AWARD.
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LETTER OF COMMENDATION:
Firefighters Jesse Ayotte and Patrick Sanders both received Letters of Commendation from the Fire Chief for special actions that demonstrated their commitment, competence and compassion.
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The MEDAL OF VALOR award was awarded to Lieutenant Ryan Reding due to actions he took on September 20, 2006 at the State Street Apartment Fire. As companies were enroute it was reported that numerous persons were trapped on the upper floors of the building. On arrival, part of Engine 4's crew advanced a 2 ½ line through the front door and attempted to move down the basement stairs to extinguish the fire. Members were met with extreme amounts of fire and nearly un-tenable conditions. Lieutenant Reding remained on the first floor landing where he held the fire in check and protected the only means of egress route out of the building.

On December 3, 2006 Lieutenant Bill Schaech and Firefighter Ron Weston vent/entered/and searched a second floor bedroom without the protection of a hand-line while under heavy heat and smoke conditions at the scene of a residential structure fire. The men were able to locate and remove a young girl and carry her to awaiting paramedics
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A SPECIAL UNIT CITATION was awarded to Captain Dave Haworth, FEO Calvin Groth, FEO Gary Holmes and FF Rick Pennington based on their actions on September 20, 2006. The members responded as the crew of Ladder 4 and arrived on the scene of the State Street Apartment fire with several persons reported trapped on the upper floors of the building. Ladder 4 split into teams A & B and began raising ladders to the windows of the second floor. Due to their efforts, 5 tenants of the building who were unable to escape due to interior conditions we successfully rescued. The crew was also responsible for rescuing one tenant from his basement apartment where he was transported to the Hospital.
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SPECIAL UNIT CITATIONS awarded to SPD Officers:
On March 13th 2006 at 2:00AM a structure fire at 1923 W. Broadway was reported to Fire Dispatch by Police radio. The fire was discovered by Officer Zachary Dahle who then notified dispatch, asking for assistance from other patrol units. He then entered the front door and began yelling and pounding on apartment doors to awaken residents. He started with the upper unit as it appeared to be where the heaviest smoke was coming from. He was assisted within two-minutes by Officers: Derek Bishop, Frank Erhart, Scott Haney and Paul Gorman. Some of the Officers entered the upper unit with Dahle where they awakened and assisted three residents out of the structure. Gorman reported extremely thick smoke conditions and paint melting off walls in this unit. Officers also awakened residents from two other apartments and led them to safety. These Police Officers made a significant difference in the survival of the occupants any if not all of whom could have perished in the fire.
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DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT AWARDS
On September 26, 2006 BC Bob Hanna was returning home in his department vehicle when he witnessed an SPD Motorcycle Officer strike a mini-van at a high rate of speed. The inertia threw the officer several feet and injured him critically. Chief Hanna calmly reported the incident and requested appropriate resources from his radio and immediately took command of the situation by protecting the scene and triaging patients. Chief Hanna delivered medical care to the injured officer, secured his weapon and protected him until additional responders arrived.

On April 8, 2006 a single car drove off of the 5th floor of the River Park Square Garage. The vehicle ended up on its top with one female trapped inside the vehicle. According to the nominator, while everyone involved at this scene worked very hard and cohesively. The recipient distinguished himself by remaining in the vehicle, giving the victim every possible chance of survival. The patient was still seat belted in, unconscious but breathing with multiple blunt force trauma injuries, in an upside down position with her right arm pinned underneath the vehicle. Lt. Andy McLeod was able to maintain an airway and start an IV on the patient, in a vehicle interior that was severely compromised. All patient care and assessment was performed by Lt. McLeod while he was in a prone or supine position. Lt. McLeod remained focused on his patient and gave her every possible chance of survival.
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MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARDS
The first member retired in March and his career spanned 30 years where he served as a FF, PM, LT, CAPT and Commissioned Fire Investigator. In his 12 year tenure as the Captain overseeing Investigations Mike Zambryski attained CFI credentials and literally raised the level of performance and professionalism for current and future investigators in the Department. His career is an illustration of commitment, excellence and dedication to service.

The second member was nominated due to his 32 year record of providing outstanding service to the SFD. In his career he has been known throughout the job as a role model and mentor for many junior members. In the nomination there were dozens of examples which rise to the level of this award; however the main theme in all were that Jack Tritt simply has demonstrated in his career that he has always worked to make the lives of everyone he touched better.

DVD copies of the event will be available within the next 2 weeks for media if requested.
PROBABLE CAUSE: N/A
DAMAGE EXTENT: N/A
DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE:
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Awards Ceremony

Congratulations to all of last night's award recipients. What an amazing turnout for this event (I guess that is a theme lately). I think everybody did a great job. Besides recognition for the award winner, it's nice to see everyone (mgmt and labor) working together to pull this thing off. We're going to have a link (I hope) on the website to download the nomination form for next year's ceremony. Also, there's one you can download on your city email acct from Brian Schaeffer. If there is a link to the video, I will post it here. I'm sure it will be repeated on channel 95, but I'm not sure when.

Media Bias 101

Hopefully, you had a chance to watch the local news’ take on the debate and the alleged assault by Mayor Hession’s wife. I find it always interesting to see how a story is put together.

First, KXLY started with a montage of the debate – with Hession making strong accusations and Mary not saying very much. And if you saw the debate, you know it was just the opposite!

The headline of the article on the KXLY website is “Fallout from mayoral mudslinging hits wife, firefighters.” A lady holding a sign critical of Hession claims she was assaulted by the mayor’s wife. So is this mud #1? What about firefighters and mud? The mayor’s wife grabbed one of our firefighter’s hands because she was clapping for Mary. So is this the flip side, the balance – that somehow a firefighter put herself in the grip of the mayor’s wife’s hand? Bizarre.

Hession is making political hay out of his wife’s alleged assault(s) upon others – playing the victim. Interesting that his wife all but admits that she did assault these folks – just not as “hard” as they’re claiming. Look for many anti-firefighter and pro-Hession letters to the editor around this issue in the next few days. I would wager that the Hession campaign’s PR firms are busy crafting them right now.

Lastly on bias, it’s interesting that at this event (according to KXLY) there were Hession supporters and then there were “protestors.” Protestors?!? Maybe next they will be calling those who don’t support Dennis “insurgents.”

I don’t know about you, but I think my wife would be pretty angry at people who didn’t like me if I were running for mayor, so I can understand Mrs. Hession’s feelings. And this election is not about Dennis Hession’s wife. Whatever happens, as far as assault charges go, shouldn’t have any effect on the election one way or the other. It’s still the policies, the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate that should decide this thing - I hope. It’s just too bad KXLY couldn’t have filed a straight and unbiased story on this and let it go.

However, it was nice to hear the always right-purty Karina Shagren quote from the blog and purr “meow” and “snarl.” Ahhhhhh. Too bad the producers didn’t follow with a cat food commercial. Hey, that’s a freebie KXLY!

1743 10/11/07 Addendum. Check out the latest on KXLY. They have assigned a Spokane Sheriff Deputy to the case and this is the first line:

"Instead of solving rapes, murders and burglaries, a Major Crimes detective with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is now investigating a police report that Spokane Mayor Dennis Hession’s wife shoved a supporter of candidate Mary Verner so hard her bursitis flared up."

One question for Karina or whomever wrote the copy - Did the Hession PR team provide you with this line, or are you moonlighting for them? Beautiful!

Last night's debate...

Wow, a great showing by Local 29! We packed in a bunch of folks. Great job Rochelle and Frank W! Rochelle even had her hand grabbed by the mayor's wife because Rochelle was clapping. Meeeeeoooooow! Snarrrrrrrrrl!

It was a very entertaining debate. Actually Dennis Hession did much better than in previous debates. But, the impartial observer would have come out endorsing Mary, just like we have, after watching the two spar.

One funny line went something like this:

"I hope my legacy is that people will know that I left my integrity at city hall." - DH

One unbelievable line:

"It was the Fire Department that brought the AMR overbilling to my attention." - DH

Hats off to both MV and DH. Thanks for debating over and over again. It seems like every night you two are on stage someplace. Keep this up and you might displace CATS as the longest running show in history.

Another Chance

Local 29 has the opportunity to really help Spokane have the most articulate, most hardworking, most intelligent and ethical mayor the city has seen in recent memory. Mary Verner continually tries to do what's best for our citizens, and 99 and 44/100th percent of the time it coincides with what's best for us.

You could be a vital part of Spokane history simply by helping just a little to get Mary elected. Write a letter to the editor. Doorbell. Wave signs. Talk to your friends and neighbors. You know how Mary went to bat for our citizens with the AMR overbilling. She was not a very popular person with the Hession administration for doing so, but her work proved what we were saying all along. There are many other examples of Mary standing up for what's right in Spokane and standing up for us. If you don't know these stories, talk to Greg, Rochelle or Don Waller.

You have a chance to help a really good person, so she can do a really good job as our mayor. We owe it to Mary, ourselves and our citizens.

There are some special events planned in the near future. Some sound like a lot of fun. Please call Rochelle at 999-2525 or Don at 991-6959.

I can't tell you on the blog what these events are because it is read by people who are working for the Hession campaign.

Thanks, John

OK HERE IT IS! WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ASKING FOR!!

The phone hasn't stopped ringing. "When can I listen to the KPBX mayoral debates?" "Will they rebroadcast them?" Unfortunately, the debates took place during this Tuesday's union meeting. So the throngs at the meeting were not able to listen or attend.

THIS JUST IN!!!! - You can listen to the debates on KPBX on these dates!

Part One of the debate (city council candidates) on 91.9 FM -
Monday Oct 22nd - 10 am and 7 pm.

Part Two of the debate (mayor and city council president) on 91.9 FM-
Wednesday Oct 24th - 10 am and 7 pm.

AND AS IF THAT ISN'T ENOUGH!!!!!! HOW ABOUT THIS?

Part One of the debate (city council candidates) on 91.1 FM -
Tuesday Oct 23rd - 10 am and 7 pm.

Part Two of the debate (mayor and city council president) on 91.1 FM-
Thursday Oct 25th - 10 am and 7 pm.

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Bruce Moline/Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 10/10/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 1907 W. Sharp
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99201

NARRATIVE: On 10/10/07 at 3:15 A.M. members of the Spokane Fire Department responded to a report of a house fire located at 1907 W. Sharp. First companies to arrive found a wood frame house with a large amount of smoke coming from the roof area. Crews began to attack the fire from the inside while other fire crews were on the roof cutting holes to effectively "ventilate" the dwelling. It was soon learned that all 6 occupants had made their escape safely from the house. Firefighters on the inside were relieved after the roof holes were started as this lifted the smoke and heat which provided better visibility and a quicker route to the main body of the fire. At this point however, the fire had extended itself throughout the attic space and had gained a foothold near the eaves on the east side of the house. After 20 minutes the fire was contained. This fire was caused by an electrical malfunction discovered in wiring on the main level. Two passersby noticed the fire and immediately began to knock on the door to alert the occupants inside. At the same time, smoke detectors had activated. Crews remained on the scene until 5:30 A.M. extinguishing hot spots and ensuring that no smoldering material remained. The Red Cross arrived and assisted the occupants with lodging. A total of 22 firefighters on 3 engine companies, 2 ladder companies, a rescue unit and 2 battalion chiefs fought this blaze. There were no injuries to firefighters or civilians. It was pointed out to the family that they did an excellent job in making sure their smoke detectors were in "working order" and that this likely also contributed to their safe exit from the home.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Electrical.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Extensive heat damage to the attic. Extensive smoke and water damage to the main floor. Moderate heat damage to the main floor.
DOLLAR LOSS: 60,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 22
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Bruce Moline/Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 10/10/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 2126 W. Grace
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99208

NARRATIVE: On 10/10/07 at 5:33 A.M. members of the Spokane Fire Department responded to a report of a garage on fire at 2126 W. Grace. Upon arrival, fire crews found a fully involved garage that was not attached to the house but near an alley and power lines. A rapid advancement of hose lines was conducted and the fire was found to be burning not only the garage but also burning through power lines. This created an extremely hazardous situation as the power lines were energized with electricity and they had dropped on a metallic fence which created a dangerous situation for neighbors and bystanders. Fire crews immediately sealed off both ends of the alley and prohibited anyone from entering this area. A call was put in to the Avista company to respond. Firefighters had this fire contained after 15 minutes but the long process of mop up and overhaul would carry on for a longer period of time. A tenant who lives in the adjacent house was using the garage for a work space and had been using candles to help illuminate the area inside in order for her to do her work. The candles had been placed in a combustible plastic holder and then she had returned to the home to retire for the evening, forgetting that the candles were still burning. The Spokane Fire Department would like to remind citizens that if you must use candles, keep them in sturdy holders that are non-combustible and keep a clearance of at least 3 feet from anything that can burn. Never use candles in bedrooms, people fall asleep and fires happen. And finally, never use them in rooms that are unattended by an adult. Luckily, nobody was injured in this fire. A total of 22 firefighters on 4 engine companies, 1 ladder company, a pumper ladder company, a rescue unit and 2 battalion chiefs fought this blaze.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Candles left unattended.
DAMAGE EXTENT: The garage and contents were a total loss.
DOLLAR LOSS: 30,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 22
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Free tickets for mayoral and council debates...

On Monday, October 15th KXLY will hold a live debate at The Bing Crosby Theatre. It will also be telecast on CH 4 from 7-8 p.m. that evening. There will be a panel of media people asking questions of the mayoral candidates & they will take questions from the audience (believe you will have to fill out a card w/question at the theatre). They will also be taking questions via email at the same time.

Tickets are FREE & available NOW at three sites.
The Bing Crosby Theatre, The Spokesman-Review office and the KXLY studio on W. Boone (only site not right downtown & has free parking)

It would be helpful fo Mary to have a large number of her supporters in the crowd. There are some rules, i.e. no signs, no candidate t-shirts, etc & I know they will share those w/individuals when they pick up tickets. Apparently oen can ask for a number of tickets at one time so I'm hoping some of your members will get this message out a GET SOME TICKETS!

Call

325-5041

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Brian Schaeffer, Assistant Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 8/29/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Multiple Alarms
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 1724 West Nora
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99202

NARRATIVE: Preliminary Release for this morning's news report:

In the evening of August 29, 2007 beginning at 00:54 AM all of the on-duty companies of B-Shift Spokane Firefighters under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Craig Cornelius and Mike Inman responded to four separate, near-simultaneous structure fires. The incidents in chronological order were located at; 1724 West Nora (House/Porch Fire) 00:54 AM, 1902 West Sharp (House Fire) 01:08 AM, 1908 West Dean (House Fire) 01:30 AM and1912 West Gardner (Truck Fire and Multiple Unit Home) 01:44 AM.

As you can see, the multiple alarms were in close proximity to each other and the on-duty Battalion Chief's were forced to move resources quickly from incident to incident as the emergencies continued to occur. Several downtown companies actually responded to three of the four incidents and will spend their morning's completing overhaul work and picking up equipment. The Firefighters, Investigators and Chief Officers did an outstanding job of managing the incidents and the demand for resources during this morning's event and their performance cannot be overstated.

At the time of this release, we are still on scene at 1724 West Nora and 1902 West Sharp and I plan to be available for news crews if needed. Just contact my office phone. -Brian Schaeffer

PROBABLE CAUSE: The cause is under investigation and appears incendiary in nature. We have a reasonable suspicion that a person/person(s) is responsible for setting all of this morning's fires. All of the incidents were easily within walking, or biking range of each other and the method of setting the fires are consistent with exterior sets near the primary exits of these homes. This is a very dangerous situation for residents and highlights the importance of knowing two ways out of any structure.
DAMAGE EXTENT: The damage is varied per address. Individual value estimates may be available later in the week.
DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 58
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Bruce Moline/Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 8/26/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 4814 N. Magnolia
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99207

NARRATIVE: On 8/26/07 at 6:18 P.M. the Spokane Fire Department responded 2 engine companies, 2 ladder companies, a pumper ladder company, a rescue unit and 2 battalion chiefs to a fire inside a dwelling located at 4814 N. Magnolia. Fire crews found smoke coming from the main floor and a number of windows upon arrival. An immediate offensive attack was conducted inside the structure and it was discovered that the fire was involving the entire kitchen and was rapidly extending towards other areas of the home. Two adults and two children were at home at the time of the blaze and all made their way out of the dwelling to safety. The fire was effectively contained after approximately 10 minutes. Overhaul was begun after a thorough search of the interior was accomplished. This activity involved fire crews shoveling out burned debris, inspecting areas with their thermal camera, and extinguishment of hot spots in order to declare the fire totally out. Fire crews remained at the house for 2 hours completing these tasks. This fire was fought by 20 firefighters. The cause of this fire was cooking grease that overheated on the stove. The grease suddenly ignited and then spread rapidly to the wooden cabinets above. Once the wood caught fire, the fire grew hotter and spread throughout the kitchen area. The home sustained significant smoke and heat damage. The Spokane Fire Department would like to remind homeowners that keeping a fire extinguisher inside the home is a good idea. Know where it is kept, and make sure it is easily accessible. The kitchen area is a good place to keep an extinguisher as cooking fires are one of the most common types of fires inside dwellings.
PROBABLE CAUSE: This fire was caused by grease used for frying that overheated inside of a pan and then ignited, spreading to wooden cabinets above the stove in the kitchen.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Major heat damage to the entire kitchen. Moderate to major smoke damage throughout the dwelling. The contents inside the home that were affected by the fire consisted of clothing, furniture, belongings and keepsakes.
DOLLAR LOSS: 50,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 20
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Battalion Chief Bob Green
DATE OF INCIDENT: 8/21/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 815 W 7th Ave.
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99204

NARRATIVE: The Spokane City Fire Dept. responded fire fighting crews and their apparatus to W. 815 7th Ave. at 6:07 in the evening of August 21st to a reported structure fire at the 100 year old historical landmark known as the Corbin Mansion. First arriving fire crews reported smoke inside on the upper floor of the building and smoke was visible outside as it was issuing from the roof area at the same time. The Corbin Mansion is a very large and stately structure that has, over time, been remodeled many times and has had many various types of occupancies over the years. Currently it is being used as professional office spaces for a number of tenants. The building's stature and historical importance to the community was uppermost in the minds of the firefighters who were arriving on scene as they entered the building and searched for the cause of the growing amount of smoke that was beginning to spread throughout the upper floor. While fire crews searched diligently inside to find the location of the fire other fire crews were sent to the roof to be in a position to open the roof in case that became necessary. The combined efforts of the crews inside and those on the roof working in unison resulted in locating the fire which was burning and starting to spread through the large open attic space. As holes were being pierced through the ceiling from below and the roof was opened from above fire fighters were able to hit the main body of fire with their hose leads and get a fairly quick knockdown of the difficult to locate fire. Fire fighters then had to dig out all the remaining fire and embers from the insulation and the damaged structural members in the attic and then remove that debris from the top floor down to the parking lot 3 floors below. The fire in the attic did substantial damage to the structural members of the roof system in the center of the building; some of those damaged structural members were the sole support of a rather large heating and air-conditioning unit that sat atop those members in the attic space. Due to the damage done by the burning of those members the unit was in a very dangerous position and so it was shored up to prevent it's collapse by equipment from the Fire Dept.'s Urban Search and Rescue Team and left in place in the building until repairs to the roof system can be undertaken. Fire damage to the Corbin Mansion was contained mainly to the top floor and the attic above. A certain amount of collateral damage occurred as the search for the hidden fire progressed and there was some water damage on the lower floors due to the application of water on the top floor and its inevitable tendency to run downhill. Many older buildings such as the Corbin Mansion have been lost to fires in the past; fortunately for our community this building can be repaired. There were no injuries to civilians or fire fighters at this particular incident. Eight pieces of fire apparatus and Two Command vehicles with 28 fire fighters and 2 battalion Chiefs worked to find and extinguish this fire. The cause of the fire appears to be a malfunction in the already mentioned, large heating and air conditioning unit housed in the attic.
PROBABLE CAUSE: A malfunction in the heating, air-conditioning unit housed in the building's attic.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Fire damage was confined to the top floor and the attic space, smoke and water damage were present to some degree on all floors.
DOLLAR LOSS: 30,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 30
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Bruce Moline/Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 8/14/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 3217 N. Nelson
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99223

NARRATIVE: On 8/14/07 at 10:23 A.M. the Spokane Fire Department responded to a house fire located at 3217 N. Nelson. Upon arrival, fire crews found a wood frame dwelling with fire showing from the eaves and roof area. An aggressive interior attack was made using hose lines and at the same time a search effort was coordinated to locate any victims that remained inside the home. Roof ventilation was also started in order to properly let the hot smoke and gases escape so fire crews could more efficiently locate the fire and extinguish it. This was accomplished by using chainsaws to cut openings in the roof. The fire was reported to be "knocked down" after 15 minutes. A total of 21 firefighters responded on this alarm on 3 engine companies, 2 ladder companies, a pumper ladder company, a rescue unit and 2 battalion chiefs. There were 5 occupants inside the house when the fire began and all made it out to safety. The Red Cross is currently assisting these occupants. There were no injuries to firefighters or civilians. The warm temperatures of the day proved to be challenging to firefighters once again and special consideration was given to rotating crews through the various work assignments. Firefighters remained on the scene throughout a good share of the day conducting overhaul operations. The second floor of this dwelling received extensive damage from the fire and the ground floor level received water and smoke damage. The cause of this fire is currently under investigation by the Spokane Fire Department Investigation Division.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Under investigation by Spokane Fire Department investigators.
DAMAGE EXTENT: The second level received heavy damage from the fire. This consisted of structural damage and damage to contents (clothing, furnishings and belongings.)The main level including the basement, sustained moderate damage from both smoke and water.
DOLLAR LOSS: 40,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 21
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Battaloin Chief Dan Brown
DATE OF INCIDENT: 8/10/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 1711 West 10th Ave
CITY: Spokane
STATE: Wa
ZIP: 99204

NARRATIVE: On the evening of August the 10th at 6:37pm the City of Spokane Fire department responded to 1711 West 10th Ave to a reported fire in the Parson's Apartments. The first arriving company reported smoke showing from the 2nd floor. Upon investigation a fire was discovered in an apartment at the far end of the hall. Pre-connected hose lines were advanced and a quick knock down of the fire took place. A search of the room and the apartment building was conducted no one was found. The tenant, an 81 year old female suffered minor smoke inhalation and first degree burns on her legs, she was transported to a local Hospital. This was a smoker caused fire which ignited a home oxygen system. The fire did extensive damage to the apartment and smoke damage to other units. One other male was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene. Nineteen firefighters and two command personnel responded to this fire.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Smoker
DAMAGE EXTENT: Extensive damage to the apartment.
DOLLAR LOSS: 45,000.00
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 19
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Bill Jackman for Employee of the Month

Some of you may have already deleted Marlene Feist's email: "Request for Nominations for September EOM." For those who haven't I am asking you to consider Bill Jackman. Bill has, over the years, been collecting data on the fulfillment of AMR's contract with the city.

He has done this on his own time, and has been a watchdog for the citizens of Spokane.

Not long ago, Bill presented his case to the city council. Thanks to Bill, they pushed hard against many forces, including Assistant Mayor Jack Lynch, to conduct an investigation into the oversight of AMR's contract. When the dust had settled, Bill's work proved to be correct. The city had the ability to levy millions of dollars of fines against AMR. Mayor Hession decided to ask for tens of thousands, instead.

Maybe the mayor was right, maybe he wasn't. What matters is that Bill Jackman did a lot of work in trying to protect our citizens, all on his own time. The city has never mentioned it. They never thanked him for his work. In fact, it seems as if they are/were hostile toward Bill for creating more work for them and a controversy that was not easilly explained. That's not right - at all.

I'm asking you to do this not as a political statement, but as righting a wrong. In fact, if I were Mayor Hession, I would make sure Bill was honored for his work. It would be the right thing to do and would also show that Dennis is a mayor without strings attached.

Anyway, please consider submitting an EOM nomination for Bill. After you download the form from Marlene, you will need to complete it and mail it to Catherine English at cenglish@spokanecity.org. All the information is on the email. If you would like to see my nomination form, or need a new one because you deleted it already, let me know and I will forward one to you.

Thanks for all your work, and taking time out to read this long request.

John

Letters to the editor - city primary election.

If you would like to send a letter to the editor for the Spokesman-Review, please click the link above. Remember, it just has to be under 200 words and you have to give them your postal address and your phone number (so they can verify where you live). As you probably know, Local 29 is endorsing Al French for mayor. It was a close call between him and Mary Verner. But, as always, please call it like you see it in your letter. If you would like some assistance, or proofreading, I would be more than happy to help.

Fire Press Release - a twofer...

Structure Fire



8/3/2007

2824 East Everett

Dan Brown, Battalion Chief



Narrative :


On Friday, August 3, 2007 at 12:28 PM, 7 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 3 Engines, 1 Senior Ladder, 1 Pumper-Ladder and 1 Heavy Rescue under the direction of Battalion Chief Brown responded to a reported apartment fire at 2824 East Everett. The first company arrived within four-minutes to discover heavy smoke showing from the third floor of a 3-story, 8-unit wood-frame apartment complex. The first arriving engine (E-15) aggressively attacked the quickly spreading fire while Ladder 2 forcibly entered, ventilated and searched apartments from ground ladders. Additional companies were assigned to attack the fire from multiple sides and floors as it spread quickly through the complex as well as perform other fireground tasks. Due to the number of residents that were evacuating from ladders and stairways and the quickly deteriorating conditions; the Incident Commander ordered an additional engine and Ladder company which supplemented abovementioned resources. Additional staff on the alarm also included Training Staff, Assistant Fire Marshal, Deputy Chief, Training Chief and Assistant Chief. Firefighters were able to confine the blaze to the third floor and roof, with only minor damage to units below on the second and first floors. The fire was under control in approximately 60 minutes. There were no civilians injured in the incident, however one firefighter was transported to Deaconess for heat exhaustion while three others were treated on-scene for injuries received from falling debris during the fire.




Cause :


Initial reports from witnesses had indicated that a suspect fled the scene with an accelerant and lighter. The subject mentioned remains a person of interest, however the physical investigation was just beginning at the time of this release and no official cause has been determined yet. Investigators will be working on this incident for most likely the remainder of the afternoon.




Damage :


A majority of the roof, attic and third floor has been destroyed. Multiple vehicles that were parked also received varying levels of damage. The structural integrity of the building is compromised and is not able to be re-occupied. The SFD and Red Cross are helping temporarily relocate the residents and account for their personal belongings.











Structure Fire


8/3/2007

106 South Cedar

Brian Schaeffer, Assistant Chief



Narrative :

On Friday, August 3, 2007 at 13:48 PM, 8 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 4 Engines, 1 Senior Ladder, 1 Pumper-Ladder under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Inman and Hanna responded to a reported apartment fire at 106 South Cedar. The first company arrived within four-minutes to discover smoke showing from a third floor unit a 4-story, ordinary constructed apartment building. The first arriving station (Engine 4 and Ladder 4) also reported that the alarm was sounding in the building and occupants were evacuating. First arriving companies were utilized to ventilate and extinguish the fire on the third floor quickly, however anytime fires occur above the main floor they require more resources due to the additional personnel needed to move equipment and hose lines up flights of stairs. Companies were able to ventilate the building and assist residents to the exterior without incident. The fire was contained to the room of origin and there were no injuries to civilians or firefighters.



Cause :

The cause was an electrical malfunction of a window air conditioner.



Damage :

Damage is limited to one unit and is moderate

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Brian Schaeffer, Assistant Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 7/30/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: Liberty/N. Freya
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99208

NARRATIVE: On Monday, July 30, 2007 at 2:35pm, 7 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 3 Engines, 2 Senior Ladders, 1 Pumper-Ladder and 1 Heavy Rescue under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Kirsch and Fielder responded to a reported residential fire located near the intersection of Liberty/Freya.

Chiefs Leavenworth and Schaeffer were enroute to a meeting at the SFD Training Center and responded to the nearby alarm. They arrived within two minutes and reported a quickly spreading fire which involved a shed, garage and a row of tall coniferous trees. The fire was endangering two homes, two garages and overhead utility lines.

Initial arriving companies quickly secured water supply and advanced attack lines to extinguish the fire and protect the nearby homes and property. The fire was placed under control within 25 minutes without injury to either civilians or firefighters.

PROBABLE CAUSE: The cause is still under investigation. Investigators were still on-scene at the time of this release.
DAMAGE EXTENT: The resident's pump house/shed is completely destroyed as well as a privacy fence and row of shrubs. The fire damaged the exterior of the west multiple car garage as well as the south garage. Minor truss damage on the garage to the west was evident, however the complete extent was not known at the time of the release. The nearby home was the firefighter's primary tactical concern and thankfully it did not suffer damage.
DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 26
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Battalion Chief Dan Brown
DATE OF INCIDENT: 7/29/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 2220 WEST Gardner
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99205

NARRATIVE: On July the 29th at 6:16 pm the City of Spokane Fire Department responded to 2220 West Gardner in the West Central neighborhood to a reported detached garage fire. The first arriving Engine Company reported a single car garage with smoke and flames showing from the front door. A quick fire attack knocked down the main body of fire in about 3 minutes. Complete extinguishment and overhaul took about 1 hour. Home owners were not at home only to arrive to find the garage on fire. The fire cause has not been determined and is being investigated. Nineteen Firefighters and 2 command personnel responded to this alarm. No injuries were reported.


PROBABLE CAUSE: Under investigation
DAMAGE EXTENT: Total loss
DOLLAR LOSS: 15,000.00
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 19
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Mayor wants 12 hours a day devoted to protecting Spokane by replacing 6 of the 50 positions that were cut...

Click the title above to take the KXLY survey and leave comments regarding Mayor Hession's political move. You can remain anonymous or not leave comments.

Fire Press Release (apologies - just got back from the broadbandless wilderness)

ISSUING OFFICER: Brian Schaeffer, Assistant Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 7/24/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Multiple Alarms
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 2733 North Pittsburg Street
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99208

NARRATIVE: On Monday, July 23, 2007 at 5:30 PM, 6 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 3 Engines, 2 Senior Ladders and 1 Heavy Rescue under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Cornelius and Inman responded to a reported commercial structure fire at Whitley Fuel site located at 2733 North Pittsburg Street.

The first company arrived within minutes to discover heavy smoke and fire showing from a two-story warehouse with multiple vehicles involved-one primarily being a fuel tanker containing several thousand gallons of fuel. Initial companies immediately requested a second alarm which was followed in quick succession by a third alarm request. All three alarms included all of the City of Spokane's 17 fire companies and available Chief Officers.

The building's contents included gasoline, diesel fuel, racing fuel, motor oil, hydraulic transmission, heavy lubricant oil and hundreds of other unknown substances packed into multiple stories of storage. Despite the extreme amount of heat and multiple explosions from massive amounts of stored hydrocarbon chemicals, Firefighters were able to confine the blaze within the area surrounding three main buildings.

The heroics and aggressiveness by the Spokane Firefighters cannot be overstated. Without their cooperation and professionalism this incident would likely have turned into a catastrophic event with enormous loss. Athough the fire continues to burn at the time of this release, the main threat from potential fire spread or explosions has been completely mitigated. Multiple companies of recalled , off-duty firefighters were utilized last night to remain on scene and continue to extinguish "hot spots" and provide site safety for the scene.

Mutual Aid:
Five mutual aid companies were quickly moved into many of the City's fire stations. The mutual aid companies responded to nearly 20 calls for service which were unrelated to the incident during the initial period of the fire. Specialized crash rescue trucks from Spokane International Airport and Fairchild AFB were also utilized through the mutual aid agreement. Both apparatus were brought directly to the scene for their AFFF (Class B Foam) capability. A Type III Incident Management Team made up of Chiefs and specially trained officers from a diverse cross-section of Spokane's Fire and Law Agencies was also dispatched. The Type III Team (called MIST) was utilized to build a plan for the next two operational periods to include objectives such as mitigating the ecological impacts as well as the complete extinguishment of the fire. The team worked closely with SFD Chief Staff through a liaison to establish priorities and bring multiple agencies (SPD, SFD, DOE, Water/Sewer Department, Mutual Aid, Demolition, Business Owners, Department of Health.etc) all together in collaboration.

Contributing Factors for Firefighters:
The atmospheric conditions remained a challenge throughout the incident. While in their personal protective clothing and mandatory use of SCBA (Self-Contained-Breathing Apparatus) the firefighters had to endure triple digit temperatures, a threatening lightening storm and several periods of wind gusts which made firefighting extremely difficult and challenging.

Rehydration and constant rotation of companies were necessary to prevent illness and injury of the firefighters from the extreme heat and conditions. Staff personnel, including Dr. Edminster (FD Physician Director), monitored firefighter's vital signs closely and also treated three minor injuries during the incident.

Despite the safeguards, three firefighters received treatment for minor injuries. There were also civilians that were treated for smoke inhalation, however denied transportation to the emergency department.

PROBABLE CAUSE: The cause is still under investigation. I am expecting to facilitate a press conference later this afternoon regarding the event and consequences expected thus far. If you have any additional questions, please call me.
DAMAGE EXTENT: The Whitley Warehouse (75' x100', 2 story un-reinforced masonry building) is completely destroyed. A nearby 20'x120' wood frame and concrete block building is also significantly damaged, albeit repairable. The nearby office buildings received moderate damage as well, but specific information regarding the estimate was not available. Fifteen (15) passenger style vehicles and vans located in parking areas are completely destroyed. A semi pulling a tandem double fuel trailer as well as a fuel tank are also destroyed. The on-site, fixed flammable liquid storage containers all received varying levels of damage.
DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE:
MUTUAL AID: Fire District 1, Fire District 10, Fire District 3, Fire District 4, Fire District 9

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Battalion Chief Bob Green
DATE OF INCIDENT: 7/16/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 2329 E 7th Avenue
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99202

NARRATIVE: The Spokane City Fire Department dispatched fire fighting crews and fire apparatus to 2329 E 7th Avenue on a reported structure fire at 0838 hrs. on Monday morning, July 16th. The first arriving fire company on scene reported heavy smoke coming from the rear of a single story wood/frame residence. That initial company pulled pre-connected hose leads from their fire apparatus and made immediate entry into the front door of the residence in an effort to quickly locate the seat of the fire and attempt to get it knocked down. Neighbors told subsequently arriving fire crews that they believed the tenant was still inside the structure so a primary and a secondary search of the structure were undertaken while the fire was being attacked from the inside and ventilation efforts were started both on the interior and on the roof. The two searches inside the structure found that no one was in the home at the time of the fire. The whereabouts of the lone tenant who resides at this address was unknown. Aggressive interior fire fighting by the members of the first arriving fire crews resulted in a quick knock down of the fire that was located in a bedroom and helped limit the further spread of the fire into other areas of the structure. There were no reported injuries to any of the responding City firefighters or to any civilians. A total of 25 fire fighters on 7 pieces of fire apparatus and 1 Command vehicle responded to this fire. The fire damage inside the structure was limited to a bedroom, bathroom, part of the living room, and some of the roof structural members in those damaged areas. Smoke damage was throughout the building and there was some amount of water damage from the water that was used to extinguish the morning fire. The cause of this fire is currently under investigation by officials of the Spokane City Fire Department. Fire fighters at this fire scene noted that there was a non-working smoke detector present in the residence and, as always, that information causes fire fighters to become concerned for their fellow citizens' safety. These fire fighters want to remind everyone in the greater Spokane area to check the smoke detector batteries in your own home twice yearly (at least) to insure that you and your family members will get that early warning of a fire that may possibly be the difference between a safe exit from the building or incurring serious or even deadly injuries.
PROBABLE CAUSE: The fire is currently under investigation by officials of the Spokane City Fire Department.
DAMAGE EXTENT: The fire gutted 1 bedroom, damaged an adjacent bathroom, part of the living room, and some structural members of the roof system.
DOLLAR LOSS: 20,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 25
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Rudy Giuliani, The WTC Recovery Effort and IAFF President Schaitberger...

An eight minute segment from the Randi Rhodes Show. She plays a clip from a Chris Mathews interview of Schaitberger.

fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Dave Leavenworth
DATE OF INCIDENT: 7/13/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 501 W Auburn Crest Ct
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99224

NARRATIVE: At 1735 hours on July 13, 2007 the Spokane Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire with seven fire apparatus, three command vehicles, and 24 personnel. First arriving units found a two story structure with fire showing at the peak of the roof and rapidly moving through the attic. No ooccupants were home at the time of the fire and witnesses reported a lightning strike to the structure. Fire units advanced a hose line to the second floor of the home as ladder personnel opened the roof to ventilate the attic. Remaining crews conducted a search of the structure for reported three family pets in the home and pulled ceilings to open the attic space for extinguishment. Crew brought the fire under control in approximately 20 minutes and began salvage operations to protect the homeowners property from further damage from water. Fire crews simultaneously performed overhaul operations to assure complete extinguishment of the fire.
One firefighter was transported by fire department vehicle to Deaconess Medical Center for evaluation after debris fell on him during firefighting operations. He was returned to duty with no injury. No civilian injuries occured at this incident. Two of the family cats were removed from the structure by firefighters, while a third cat was not found inside the home.
PROBABLE CAUSE: The probable cause of the fire was determined by witness statements to be a lightning strike to the roof of the structure.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Unknown at this time
DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 24
MUTUAL AID: None Given

fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Brian Schaeffer, Assistant Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 7/14/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Multiple Alarms
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 1405 East 30th Avenue Apartment B305
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99223

NARRATIVE: On Saturday, July 14, 2007 at 03:20 AM, 6 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 7 Engines, 3 Senior Ladders, 1 Pumper-Ladder and 1 Heavy Rescue under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Brown and Moline responded to a reported fire in an apartment at 1405 East 30th Avenue Apartment B305

The first company arrived within six-minutes (Station 11 was the closest station to the alarm, however they were already committed to another EMS call) to discover heavy smoke showing from the third floor apartment of a 3-story, 14-unit wood-frame apartment complex. Initial companies were utilized to simultaneously search the apartments on all three floors for victims and attack the fire. Due to the sheer number of residents, quickly escalating fire and deteriorating conditions the Incident Commander ordered a second alarm which assigned the abovementioned resources. Despite the amount of heat and head-start the fire had on first arriving companies, Firefighters were able to confine the blaze to the third floor, with only ancillary damage to units adjoining and below. The fire was under control in approximately 45 minutes. The presence of a functional smoke detector alerted other tenants of the apartment building which immediately called 911 and allowed them to escape the quick moving fire. One resident of the unit where the fire originated suffered second degree burns and was treated by SFD Paramedics and transported to Sacred Heart Hospital. A firefighter also received a musculoskeletal injury during the incident and was transported to Deaconess Hospital where he is still receiving care at the time of this release.

PROBABLE CAUSE: The cause of the fire remains under active investigation, however early interviews from residents indicate that it was most likely accidental and involves a candle. Definitive information will be released as it is available.

DAMAGE EXTENT: Monetary loss to the entire apartment building is still being tabulated. The Spokane chapter of the American Red Cross is assisting all of the residents as the building does not appear safe to occupy.

DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 38
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Battalion Chief Steve Sabo
DATE OF INCIDENT: 7/12/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 3016 W. Bismark Ave.
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99205

NARRATIVE: At 2:15 PM today, Thursday, July 12, 2007, the Spokane Fire Department responded to a reported explosion and fire at 3016 W. Bismark Ave. Crews responding reported heavy smoke and flames visible from several blocks away. As crews arrived, they found a one-story single family home, with the attached garage fully involved in fire. The living area of the home was heavily charged with smoke, as was the attic area. Engine crews advanced hose leads into the garage as well as the living area. At the same time, one ladder crew searched the interior for victims, while another cut a hole in the roof for ventilation. There were no victims located, however, two cats were rescued and treated with oxygen at the scene, and a third cat was unaccounted for. The fire was knocked down and under control within 20 minutes. Crews remained on-scene for more than four hours completing final extinguishment. Ambient air temperatures approaching 100 degrees made conditions unusually difficult for firefighters. Extra fire crews from as far away as east central Spokane were brought in to provide relief for the exhausted initial attack crews. Two firefighters were transported to Deaconess Hospital, where they were treated for heat stress and dehydration. They were released and returned to complete the rest of their shift. There were no civilian injuries. The American Red Cross was making arrangements for lodging and clothing for the four family members who lived in the house.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Fire investigators determined the cause of the fire to be an overloaded electrical circuit supplying power to a wall mounted air conditioning unit. The reported explosions were caused by one empty and two partially full propane cylinders.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Damage to the home was extensive. The garage was totally destroyed, and fire heavily damaged the roof and ceiling area of the home nearest the garage. There was smoke and heat damage throughout the remainder of the home. Total damage is estimated at $70,000.
DOLLAR LOSS: 70,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 26
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Why our union is supporting Al French for mayor...

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Battalion Chief Dan Brown
DATE OF INCIDENT: 7/11/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 8424 North Nevada st.
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99207

NARRATIVE: On the morning of July11 2007 at 03:48 Hrs the City of Spokane Fire Department responded 9 fire apparatus to a reported apartment fire in the Cedar Springs Apartment complex at 8424 North Nevada St. Fire Engine 18 responding from the 200 block of East Lincoln RD. reported a large column of black smoke showing. Upon arrival Engine 18 reported a fully involved apartment on the second floor of a 6 unit apartment complex. Fire attack was initiated using 2.1/2 and 13/4 inch pre-connected hose lines. A search was ordered and roof ventilation was started. A second alarm was requested which brought 3 more apparatus and overhead command to the scene. The main body of the fire was knocked down in about 20 minutes overhaul and final extinguishment took about 2 hours. The apartment of fire origin was a total loss and adjoining apartments suffered some water, smoke and overhaul damage. Red Cross assisted the tenants that were displaced by the fire. The firefighters that responded to this early morning alarm did an excellent job in confining this fire to the apartment on the second floor. No injuries were reported. The cause of this fire was a cigarette being placed in a flower pot on the deck igniting wood mulch in the pot and spreading fire to the exterior. Fire extended to a barbeque and set off a one pound propane tank causing an explosion. The fire department would like to remind everyone to be careful of open flame of any kind and use the proper containers to dispose of such items.
A total of 34 Firefighters and 6 additional command officers answered this alarm.

PROBABLE CAUSE: Cigarette in Flower pot
DAMAGE EXTENT: Total losss of the fire apartment and damage to adjoining apartments.
DOLLAR LOSS: 100,000.00
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 34
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Brian Schaeffer, Assistant Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 7/8/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 1903 West Broadway
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99201

NARRATIVE: On Sunday, July 8, 2007 at 4:02 PM, 6 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 3 Engines, 2 Senior Ladders and 1 Heavy Rescue under the direction of Battalion Chief Sabo responded to a reported fire in an apartment at 1903 West Broadway.

The first company arrived within four-minutes to discover smoke showing from the first floor apartment of a converted two-story wood-frame residential structure. Initial companies were utilized to simultaneously search the apartment for victims and attack the fire. Despite the amount of heat and extended burn time, Firefighters were able to confine the blaze to the room of origin, with only superficial damage to nearby kitchen and bedrooms. They extinguished the flames in just 10 minutes. The presence of a functional smoke detector alerted other tenants of the apartment building which immediately called 911. There were no injuries and the tenant was not home at the time of the fire.

PROBABLE CAUSE: The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Structural damage is minor, damage to contents and adjoining rooms is significant
DOLLAR LOSS: 20000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 22
MUTUAL AID: None Given

Three Fire Press Releases

ISSUING OFFICER: Ken Kirsch/Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 7/7/2007
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: Muliple
CITY: Spokane
STATE: Wa
ZIP:

NARRATIVE: The City of Spokane Fire Department had a very busy day on 07/06/07, with several fire incidents taking place. Here are the highlights of each.

At 1659 hrs crews of the Spokane Fire Department responded to 2727 E. 53rd upon report of a structure fire. First arriving crews found four units of an apartment building heavily involved in fire. Several apartment buildings surrounded the units on fire. With winds coming from the west and the fire in the east most portion of the involved structure, another nearby apartment building was endangered. SFD crews were able to protect the surrounding apartment buildings by advancing exposure protection leads. In addition crews held the main body of fire to the four involved apartments. Other units in the building also suffered some fire, water and smoke damage. Fire crews did an outstanding job of limiting the spread of the fire in this incident. After extinguishment of the main body of fire, firefighters remained on scene throughout the night to monitor conditions. Firefighters will continue to be on scene today to assure that the fire is out. The cause of this fire is still under investigation.

One firefighter was injured during this incident. He suffered a leg injury when falling debris hit him. He was transported to a local hospital, treated, and did not return to duty. The injuries did not appear to be serious. No injuries were reported to civilians. Several pets did die during this incident.

The next fire incident occurred at 0018 hrs at 1107 N. Freya. This is a one story, masonry, commercial structure. The business is "Blue Ribbon Linen Supply". They specialize in linen and uniform rental service and in janitorial chemicals and supplies. First arriving crews found light smoke coming from the structure. SFD members advanced pre-connected hose-lines into the structure and found several carts of business goods on fire. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and removed fire damaged goods from the building. Fire damage was confined mainly to goods on the carts. Minor fire damage occurred to wall and ceiling surfaces in the area near the fire damaged carts. Smoke damage was evident throughout. Firefighters were on scene for approximately one and one half hours. No injuries were reported to firefighters. This fire will be investigated today. No cause has yet been determined.

At 0506 hrs on 07/07/07 units of the SFD responded to 1804 E Sharp upon report to a garage on fire. Smoke from the blaze could be seen from down-town. First arriving units found one garage fully involved in fire and the fire had ignited a nearby car and another garage. Firefighters used pre-connected hose-lines to quickly extinguish the blaze. The first garage was a total loss, with none of it remaining standing. The nearby car was also a total loss. The second garage suffered only minor damage. Fire investigators will be looking over this scene today in an attempt to determine the fire cause. No injuries were report at this scene.

After this busy night firefighters will try to catch their breath and prepare for any upcoming emergencies. With continued dry weather, and hot temperatures fire danger will remain high.

PROBABLE CAUSE: All incidents are under investigation.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Undtermined
DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE:
MUTUAL AID: None Given