Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Brian Schaeffer, Assistant Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 7/31/2008
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 722 South Altamont
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99202

NARRATIVE: On Thursday July 31, 2008 at 9:55 AM, 6 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 4 Engines, 1 Heavy Rescue, and 1-Senior Ladder under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Ken Kirsch and Joel Fielder responded to a reported Apartment Fire at 722 South Altamont. When the first company arrived, they reported heavy smoke and fire showing from the second floor of a multiple family, two-story townhome. Neighbors and Police nearby also told arriving firefighters that there were children missing. The Ladder company was immediately used to ventilate the roof and search for the missing children while Engine companies attempted to extinguish the fire from the second floor. Due to the fire's conditions and construction type, the alarm was also upgraded to a working fire which added an additional Engine, Senior Ladder and Pumper-Ladder. It took 33 Firefighters 45 minutes to locate and knock down the fire and control the incident. Firefighters were able to limit the damage to the second floor and attic areas of the building. All children were accounted for and were removed prior to the SFD's arrival by neighbors. A young child received moderate burn injuries from the fire and received treatment by SFD Paramedics, however refused transport by AMR. The child was reportedly transported by relatives to the hospital at the time of this release. No firefighters were injured as a result of the incident.

PROBABLE CAUSE: The origin of the fire was on the second floor balcony. The cause was an unsupervised 4-year old child playing with matches.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Damage is significant throughout the second floor. Structural integrity of the roof members and associated lightweight wood-frame structural members is in question. Re-occupancy is not possible without considerable clean up and construction.
DOLLAR LOSS: 80,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 33
MUTUAL AID: None Given

For more information on this release, please call (509)625-7002 and/or check out the SFD Blog at www.spokanefire.blogspot.com

END OF RELEASE