Fire Press Release

Early Morning Fire in the North Battalion

Incident #:  2012025038
Date of Incident:  6/18/2012
Issuing Officer:  AC Schaeffer
Narrative:
On Monday, June 18, 2012 at 4:23 AM, 6 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 1 Senior Ladder, 1 Heavy Rescue, 4 Engines under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Clive Jones and Dave Haworth, responded to a Structure Fire at 5510 West Woodside Avenue in Northwest Spokane. Spokane Firefighters arrived within 5-minutes to find heavy smoke and fire showing from the roof and garage of a single family house. They also reported that they had found the occupant of the home and that the patient was burned. The first arriving Chief declared a working fire which added an additional Senior Ladder company and AMR ambulance and AMR Supervisor. He also updated the situation as a rapidly progressing fire that had consumed the far west of the home and had extended to an adjacent home to the west. Fortunately, the second arriving company was Paramedic Engine E17 from the Indian Trail neighborhood. Their company began to immediately provide emergency medical care to the patient and transported the critical patient to a local Trauma Hospital. Once additional companies arrived, the firefighters commenced an aggressive attack on the fire in both homes with Engine Companies. The first arriving Ladder Company searched both of the homes for victims while the second arriving Ladder Company immediately laddered the roof and manually cut a ventilation hole above the fire. The well coordinated effort of firefighters confined flames to the primary structure (5510) and limited the damage into the adjacent home to the west to the attack and soffit areas. The fire was declared under control in 45-minutes and companies are still on scene conducting overhaul and salvaging resident's belongings. There were no injuries reported from either residents or firefighters.
Cause:
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Fire Department's SIU.
Damage:
There is significant structural damage and many contents have been damaged by the heavy smoke. Though loss from the fire was concentrated to the original building, the adjacent structure also suffered minor damage from the quickly progressing fire. Vehicles parked in the driveway were also destroyed. The occupant is being referred to the American Red Cross for interim placement assistance once released from the hospital as the structure is not inhabitable in its present state.
# Firefighters Responding: 24
Dollar Loss: $250,000

End Of Release 
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