MORAN PRAIRIE, Wash. — Spokane firefighters battle an early morning garage fire at an apartment complex on Tuesday morning in Spokane resulting in $500,000 worth of damages.
On Jan. 9 at 3:16 a.m., the Spokane Fire Department received a call for a garage fire behind the Trestle Creek Apartments near Moran Prairie.
The caller told dispatchers that there was a fire and heard explosions from one of the larger units at the complex. A resident with a portable fire extinguisher attempted to put out the fire before firefighters arrived.
Multiple engines arrived on scene at 3:24 a.m. and confirmed that there was a “heavy fire through the roof of one garage, posing a threat to adjacent units under the same roof.”
As they deployed the hose, crews noticed that the fire had extended into an additional unit, primarily in the attic and ceiling.
Spokane Valley firefighters arrived to assist, they secured water supply and deployed an additional hose to battle the flames.
The main body of the fire was knocked down but firefighters extinguished the remaining hot spots since the roof collapsed during the initial fire attack.
The Special Investigations Unit investigated the scene but were not able to determine the exact cause of the fire due to the extensive interior damage. Damage and losses were estimated to be $500,000.
With the extent of damage, Avista was called to the scene to check utilities.
Spokane Fire reminds residents that while portable fire extinguishers are effective for small fires, they should be used only on those contained to the original object or its immediate area. Once flames spread across the ceiling, extinguishers become less effective. The fire department should also be summoned whenever a fire extinguisher is used to ensure complete extinguishment and proper documentation and reporting.
