Friday, November 16, 2012

Fire Press Release


Structure Fire--North Lee 
Incident #: 2012049512
Date of Incident: 11/14/2012
Issuing Officer: AC Schaeffer
Narrative:On Wednesday November 13, 2012 at 9:47 AM, 7 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 2 Senior Ladders, 4 Engines and 1 Heavy Rescue under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Donahoe and Moline, responded to a structure fire at 1211 North Lee Street.  Firefighters from Station 7 arrived within 5-minutes to find smoke visible from the exterior of a one-story, single family residence. Initial arriving companies had to force entry (including removing iron bars for access) to access and attack the fire.  Within minutes of arriving, companies successfully stretched multiple hose leads into the structure while search teams crawled though the area to search for victims.  The fire was quickly located in a wall by engine companies and interior search teams confirmed that there were no victims.  The fire was confined to its primary area of origin and declared under control within 15-minutes.  There were no injuries reported as a result of the incident.
Cause:The nature was determined to be accidental and the cause was a wall-mounted baseboard heater.
Damage:Fire damage was limited to an interior wall and adjacent area(s). Unfortunately, there was smoke damage throughout the home.  Dollar loss from the incident is still being tabulated.
# Firefighters Responding: 23
Other Agencies Responding:
Spokane Police Department,
End Of Release 
For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Fire Press Release


South Battalion Residence Fire
Incident #: 2012049373
Date of Incident: 11/13/2012
Issuing Officer: AC Schaeffer
Narrative:On Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 11:04 AM (simultaneously during the working fire at 728 E Mission), 6 Companies of Spokane and Spokane Valley
Firefighters, 1 City Senior Ladder, 4 City Engines and 1 Valley Engine under the direction of Battalion Chief Haworth and Deputy Chief Leavenworth, responded to a structure fire at 4521 South Cook Street.  Preliminary information from Fire Dispatch indicated the residence was not occupied and that the entire first floor was charged with smoke.  Firefighters from both departments arrived within 7-minutes to find smoke visible on the interior of the single-family residence.  Initial arriving companies forced entry and immediately searched the entire structure for victims.  As companies arrived they were assigned ventilation and fire attack. The fire was quickly located in subflooring near a furnace appliance and was extinguished with the resources on-scene.  There were no injuries reported as a result of the incident.
Cause:The cause was determined to accidental and related to a mechanical problem.
Damage:Firefighter’s judicious use of forced ventilation and detailed overhaul activity limited the damage to flooring material(s) and minor smoke damage throughout the home.
# Firefighters Responding: 19
Dollar Loss: $ 4000
Other Agencies Responding:
Fire District 1, Spokane Police Department,
End Of Release 
For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Fire Press Release


Logan Neighborhood Apt Fire
Incident #: 
Date of Incident: 11/13/2012
Issuing Officer: AC Schaeffer
Narrative:On Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 10:32 AM, 6 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 1 Senior Ladder, 1 Heavy Rescue and 4 Engines under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Thompson and Green responded to a structure fire at 728 East Mission in Spokane’s Logan Neighborhood. While companies were responding, smoke could be seen throughout the Gonzaga Campus and resulted in multiple 911 calls reporting the incident. Station 2 (Engine 2 and Ladder 2) firefighters arrived within 4-minutes to find heavy smoke showing from the attic and roof areas of the two-story residence which had been modified to a multiple unit apartment building (Hare Apartments). The first arriving Chief Officer requested the incident to be upgraded to a working fire which added an additional Ladder Company, AMR Ambulance and an AMR Supervisor to the scene.




The first arriving ladder companies immediately laddered the roof from several sides and manually cut multiple ventilation holes above the apartments involved in fire to allow engine companies to reach the second floor and begin firefighting. The well coordinated effort of firefighters confined flames to the building's common attic and second floor, extinguishing the blaze in just over 1 hour. There were no injuries reported from civilians, however one firefighter suffered a musculoskeletal injury but was not transported to the hospital.
Cause:The cause is under investigation by the SIU.
Damage:Firefighters are still on scene and will be for several additional hours, protecting the renter’s belongings from additional damage during the salvage and overhaul operations. Though loss from the fire was limited the second floor, the need to secure the building’s utilities rendered areas of the building temporarily untenable. The Inland Northwest Chapter of American Red Cross is assisting the families with interim placement assistance.
# Firefighters Responding: 33
Other Agencies Responding:
Spokane Police Department,
End Of Release 
For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

Monday, November 12, 2012

4 Fire Press Releases


It's been a busy couple of days for Spokane Firefighters.


Residential Fire
Incident #: 2012049106
Date of Incident: 11/11/2012
Issuing Officer: AC Schaeffer
Narrative:On Sunday, November 11, 2012 at 12:22 PM, 6 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 1 Senior Ladder, 4 Engines and 1 Heavy Rescue under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Cornelius and Sabo, responded to a structure fire at 1426 East Decatur Avenue. While enroute to the incident, companies were notified of a report that a civilian was trapped in the basement of the building. After hearing smoke alarms sounding, neighbors responded by calling 911 and discharged a fire extinguisher in attempt to minimize the fire’s growth. The neighbors were also able to awake the elderly man in the basement and lead him to safety. The first arriving companies described the home as a one-story, wood frame construction with heavy smoke showing from the rear of the residence. The first due Engine and Ladder went to work immediately after arriving and stretched a line in attempt to control the fire’s progress toward the living areas in the house. Additionally, a Paramedic Engine Company was assigned to care for the resident. Simultaneously the Ladder Company searched both floors of the home for civilians and provided ventilation of the structure. The fire was declared under control in 15-minutes after the SFD’s arrival and no injuries were reported.
Cause:The nature of the fire has been determined to be accidental and caused by discarded smoking materials too close to combustibles.
Damage:Damage was limited to an external area in the rear of the home.
# Firefighters Responding: 22
Dollar Loss: $ 2000
Other Agencies Responding:
Spokane Police Department,
End Of Release 
For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

North Battalion Residence Fire
Incident #: 2012049081
Date of Incident: 11/11/2012
Issuing Officer: AC Schaeffer
Narrative:On Sunday, November 11, 2012 at 7:58 AM, seven companies of Spokane Firefighters including four engines, two senior ladders and one heavy rescue under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Cornelius and Sabo responded to a residence fire at 4615 North Rustle in Spokane’s Northwest Side.

Firefighters arrived within three minutes to discover smoke showing on the interior of the single family home.  Firefighters entered the structure using handlines and thermal imaging cameras to locate and extinguish the fire.  Ladder companies simultaneously provided ventilation and access to the fire within the confines of the wood frame home.  The fire, which spread through attic and void spaces, was ultimately confined to the chimney and remote areas in the attic and extinguished by first-due companies within 30-minutes.  There were no injuries to firefighters or civilians as a result of this incident.
Cause:The cause of this early morning blaze has been determined to be accidental and related to the condition of the fireplace and nearby combustibles
Damage:Due to the quick actions of the firefighters, damage was limited to the area of origin.
# Firefighters Responding: 22
Dollar Loss: $ 2000
Other Agencies Responding:
Spokane Police Department,
End Of Release 
For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

Riverpark Square Garage Fire
Incident #: 2012048960
Date of Incident: 11/10/2012
Issuing Officer: AC Schaeffer
Narrative:On Saturday, November 10, 2012 at 2:42 PM, 8 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 5 Engines, 2 Senior Ladders and 1 Heavy Rescue under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Moline and Donahoe responded to a report of heavy smoke coming from the Riverpark Square Parking Garage.

Responding to an initial report of a vehicle fire, firefighters arrived within minutes to find a difficult to access, well involved vehicle on the seventh floor with flames rapidly threatening nearby automobiles and the adjacent building.  As additional personnel arrived, firefighters commenced a swift and well-coordinated attack on the fire by climbing the stairwell and assembling a fire attack group below the fire floor. The building’s standpipe system was charged by downtown fire engines and ladder trucks were raised to make access to the seventh and eight floors. Despite the personnel-intensive work required to access the fire, their efforts proved synergistic and the flames were extinguished in just 30 minutes. Damage was limited to one unoccupied vehicle with smoke damage to a portion of the seventh floor, with smoke and water impacting the stairwell.  Companies remained for several hours to ensure that smoke remained away from the mall and water was eliminated from the stairwell.  The immediate garage area and the mall was evacuated safely and no injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
Cause:The cause has been determined to be accidental and related to the vehicle's engine.
Damage:The vehicle was destroyed and there is minor smoke damage to the immediate area and stairwell.
# Firefighters Responding: 26
Dollar Loss: $ 40000
Other Agencies Responding:
Spokane Police Department, Riverpark Square Security
End Of Release 
For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

North Battalion Business Fire
Incident #: 2012048928
Date of Incident: 11/10/2012
Issuing Officer: AC Schaeffer
Narrative:On Saturday, November 10, 2012 at 11:24 PM, 7 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 4 Engines, 2 Senior Ladders and 1 Heavy Rescue under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Donahoe and Moline responded to a building fire at 2829 North Market (Starlite Spa).

While responding, fire dispatch received multiple 911 calls from citizens reporting that heavy smoke and fire was coming from the front door of the building. The first company arrived within 5-minutes and found an intense fire inside the front of the concrete building. The building appeared abandoned and the doors and windows were boarded up and secured with iron bars. The incident was upgraded to a working fire which added an additional company to the scene.  Ladder companies had to force entry into doors and windows on multiple sides of the fortified building which allowed engine companies access to the interior where they successfully located and extinguish the fire.  Ladder crews additionally ventilated the roof and ceilings above the fire. Initial arriving engines and ladder companies also simultaneously performed a rapid, well-coordinated search of the premises for any victims and found nothing.  The fire was deemed under control within 30-minutes. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters on this incident.  There were no injuries reported as a result of this incident.


 
Cause:The cause of this fire is categorized as incendiary (human caused).  The investigation remains open.
Damage:The building has been secured by a board up company and monetary loss to the facility is still being estimated by the SIU.
# Firefighters Responding: 24
Dollar Loss: $ 20000
Other Agencies Responding:
Spokane Police Department,
End Of Release 
For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002