Fire that destroyed Spokane house caused by child playing with ‘fire source’

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SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane firefighters have completed their investigation into a fire , determining that the cause was a child playing with a “fire source.”

According to a press release from the Spokane Fire Department (SFD), at around 4:30 p.m., Spokane and Spokane County Fire District 9 firefighters responded to a house fire in the area of North Buffalo Street. Upon arrival, firefighters said they saw a large column of smoke and immediately requested additional resources. Dispatchers reported that the occupants had safely evacuated and that flames were visible from a bedroom window.

Fire crews said when they reached the scene around 4:40 p.m. and observed heavy fire on the main floor of the one-and-a-half-story home. The blaze was brought under control within ten minutes, with no injuries reported among residents or firefighters.

SFD said that the fire caused significant damage, estimated at $270,000. The American Red Cross was contacted to assist the two adults and two children displaced by the fire. Firefighter said that the family’s dog was found dead after the flames were extinguished.

Investigators determined that the fire started accidentally in a main-floor bedroom due to a child playing with a “fire source.”

Around 2:40 a.m. the following day, firefighters said they returned to the scene due to a rekindling of the fire. They responded within four minutes and reported flames on the upper floor. With support from Spokane County Fire District 9, firefighters quickly controlled the renewed blaze, preventing further damage.


 

FOX28 Spokane©