ISSUING OFFICER: Craig Cornelius / Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 9/2/2010
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 5111 S. Regal
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99223
NARRATIVE: On Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 1622 hours, six Companies of Spokane Firefighters; 3 engines, 1 pumper ladder, 2 senior ladders and 1 heavy rescue apparatus responded to a report of a fire at the Regal Ridge apartments located at 5111 S. Regal.
The first arriving company was Engine 14 from the neighborhood fire station located at 18th and Ray. Engine 14 arrived at the back of the complex within 6 minutes from the time Fire Dispatch received the original call. Engine 14's officer, Lt. Schoenleber, reported that he had located an apartment unit at the back of the complex that was filled with black smoke. Engine 14 reported to the other responding fire crews that they were advancing a hose line into the involved unit and were evacuating tenants from the adjacent units.
Engine 14's crew (Lt. Schoenleber, Driver Gordon Ormesher, and FF Eric Ross) knocked the fire down with 150 gallons of water that is carried in the tank of E14. Arriving Firefighters assisted in ventilation and confining the fire to the one apartment unit. Although the fire was immediately knocked down, crews worked at the scene for about an hour and a half. The fire was confined to the kitchen area of the apartment with heavy smoke damage throughout. No civilians or Firefighters were injured at this incident. The Red Cross responded and is assisting the occupants from the burned out unit.
Narrow access driveways and improperly parked vehicles made it very difficult for the responding fire apparatus to maneuver to the back of this facility. This is reoccurring challenge that the Fire Department has to deal with when responding to fires in many of the apartments within the city. Citizens are encouraged to park only in the designated areas around their apartments and to keep the fire lanes clear for emergency vehicles.
This fire is under investigation at this time, but early indicators are leading to a cause of unattended cooking grease on the stove. (SFD investigators are still in the process of interviewing those connected to this incident.)
PROBABLE CAUSE: The fire is still under investigation. (More than likely accidental, cooking related.)
DAMAGE EXTENT: One apartment unit.
DOLLAR LOSS: 20,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 25
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
ISSUING OFFICER: Bob Green/Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 9/3/2010
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 329 E Princeton
CITY: Spokane,
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99207
NARRATIVE: The Spokane City Fire Dept. dispatched fire fighting crews and their apparatus on Thursday evening, Sept. 2nd to 329 E. Princeton at 21:57 hrs. for a reported structure fire. The first arriving fire company, from Sta. #15 located in the Hillyard neighborhood, reported smoke issuing from the closed front door and smoke and flame starting to appear at a basement window of the single story wood/frame residence. As other fire apparatus began arriving on scene, assignments were being made that would include forcing entry into the locked structure, placing hose lines in service to be taken inside the structure and down into the basement, horizontal ventilation of the building, search for any victims on all the floors, securing a water supply for the strategically placed Engine that would be supplying the water to the hose lines, a back-up hose line to protect the firefighters who would be making initial entry into the building, additional hose lines to protect neighboring structures that were beginning to be exposed to the growing flames as they were now extending out and up from the basement windows, and the formation of a Rapid Intervention Team who would be standing by to rescue any firefighter who might become injured, lost, or trapped inside the building. Crews began to force the front door and soon made entry into the structure dragging their hose lines in with them. As they searched in the blackness that greeted them they were unable to find the basement stairs due to a heavy accumulation of stored items and material piled high in the access area to those stairs. While all this was occurring on the first floor the fire continued to grow in size, intensity, and heat in the basement to the point where the firefighters had to abandon their original strategy of directly attacking the fire and were ordered to back out for safety considerations. Once the crews had exited the building a decision was made to introduce compressed air foam into the basement via the basement windows in the hope that the fire in the basement could be knocked down by the thick, wet, foam that was being produced by the Engine out in the street at the front of the structure. The foam soon began to get the upper hand on the growing flames and eventually the fire was extinguished. The combined efforts of the men and women of the Fire Dept. at this fire kept the flames confined to the basement but not before serious damage was done to the floor joist system of the building. The fire burned hot and for a long time before the cooling effects of the foam could put it out. Areas of the upper floor were sagging to the point that firefighters were ordered to stay off the floors in those areas as collapse of the floors became a real possibility. Five Engines, one Ladder Truck, one Heavy Rescue Rig, and two Command Vehicles delivered 25 firefighters to the scene of this stubborn blaze. The fire damage was limited to the basement although there was collateral damage done to areas of the first floor as efforts were made to get at the basement through other avenues since the stairs were not an option. The tenants of the home were out of town at the time of the fire. There were no reports of any injuries to firefighters at the scene. A member of the Spokane City Fire Dept's Special Investigation Unit was at the fire but not able to begin his investigation until the foam has dissipated in the basement and that would not occur until Friday morning around daybreak. A fire crew will remain at the scene all night long to be on the alert for any rekindle which might occur. The total damage assessment will be made by the investigator once he is able to examine the basement and the rest of the house in the light of day.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Under Investigation
DAMAGE EXTENT: Heavy fire damage to the basement, smoke damage throughout the structure.
DOLLAR LOSS: 50,000.00
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 25
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
DATE OF INCIDENT: 9/4/2010
INCIDENT TYPE: Multiple Alarms
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 1838 East South Riverton Avenue
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99217
NARRATIVE: On Saturday September 4, 2010 at 2:31 AM, 7 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 4 Engines, 2 Senior Ladders, 1 Heavy Rescue, under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Cornelius and Haworth Structure Fire at 1838 East South Riverton Avenue.
First arriving firefighters rapidly coordinated the evacuation and rescue of the dozens of occupants who had fled the building. As additional SFD crews arrived, they methodically searched the 170' x 70' three-story apartment building and removed many occupants from ladders and through exits.
The fire traveled quickly throughout the roof and the third floor. Ladder companies immediately and successfully vertically vented the fire from above as engines stretched multiple hoselines to the fire floors to successfully stop the fire's progress.
As a result of the fire and a need to secure utilities, 21 apartment units were deemed temporarily untenable. Assisting 60 residents in their need for temporary accommodations were staff from the building's management and volunteers from the Spokane Chapter of the American Red Cross. There were no injuries to firefighters or civilians.
PROBABLE CAUSE: The cause of this early morning blaze is under investigation by the SFD's Special Investigation unit.
DAMAGE EXTENT: There is extensive damage to the third floor throughout the entire building. Power to the building has been shut down and controlled by Avista. FD Command Staff are remaining on site to assist residents in retrieving their personal effects until morning when the structural integrity of the roof will be determined. Residents may be able to reoccupy limited areas later this afternoon depending on the result of the structural evaluation.
DOLLAR LOSS:
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE:
MUTUAL AID: Fire District 1, Fire District 9
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
