SPOKANE, Wash. – If it seems like there’s been more fires than usual so far in 2024, new information from the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) backs that up.
“We’ve definitely seen an increase over last year, and an increase over the year before,” said Capt. Lee Venning with Spokane Fire’s investigations unit.
Data from SFD shows crews have responded to 67 structure fires between January 1 and May 29, 2024, up from 48 over the same time frame last year and 56 over the same time frame in 2022.
“It ebbs and flows,” said SFD investigator Lt. Ed Miller. “This seems to be a faster year–we’ve had more fires in the first half of this year than we’ve had in a long time, especially fatality fires.”
The numbers back that up. There have already been six people killed in fires in the City of Spokane alone this year, up from two last year and one in 2022 over the same time frame.
Of this year’s 67 fires, 25 were intentionally caused, 27 were accidental and 15 are still undetermined at this point.
The biggest jump there is in intentionally caused–or arson–fires. There were only nine arson fires over the same period in 2022 and 14 last year, which amounts to a staggering 178% increase in just two years.
“We’re seeing a lot of arson car fires,” Venning said. “A lot of the arson fires we’re seeing are crimes of opportunity–they’ll actually use materials they’re finding nearby, whether they’re lighting a dumpster on fire, or pile up cardboard or something that was left outside of a building, and they’ll use that to start a fire.”
However, Venning notes that an overwhelming majority of the major fires this year–meaning the two-alarm responses and fatalities–have been accidental. Only one of the six fire-caused-deaths in the city in 2024 was because of an intentionally set fire.
It’s also worth noting that the number of accidental fires so far in 2024 is right on pace with the last two years: 23 by this point last year, and 28 in 2022.
The question becomes then, what’s causing all of these accidental fires?
“Electrical wiring has been a big issue,” Venning said. “We had a major fire that was caused by some heat tape that shorted out, and another large fire that resulted in four deaths that was caused by permanent use of an extension cord for electrical wiring.”
Investigators have noticed a trend in neighborhoods with older homes, too.
“A lot of this wiring isn’t just old, it wasn’t done and permitted correctly,” Venning said. “So, it was a lot of ‘do it yourself,’ and it was done very improperly.”
“Certain fires started 40 years ago, we just didn’t know it, because that’s when that shoddy work was done and was covered up,” Miller said.
Miller said another key factor is the fact that people are using more electricity than ever–especially during extreme weather events with electric space heaters or air conditioners–which can compound the issue.
“It just overloads the system, because it was never designed to hold the amount of energy that we’re using these days,” Miller said.
If you’re concerned about the wiring in your home, SFD says one of the best things you can do is schedule a home inspection with a licensed electrician or reputable contractor.
There are also some super simple life saving steps you can take to protect your family in case of a fire.
“All the fatality fires we’ve had are in homes that do not have working smoke detectors,” Venning said.
The National Fire Protection Agency says the risk of dying in a house fire is 55% lower if that home has working smoke alarms, and almost every fire agency in Spokane County will install them for free.
“We’re actually out banging on doors, trying to get people to let us put smoke detectors in their homes,” Venning said. “It’s something we take very seriously.”
Lt. Miller shows picture proof of another important technique: sleeping with your door shut.
“You can tell the door took all the soot and the door was shut, because soot here, soot here, and look how clean it is on the inside,” Miller said while demonstrating at his computer screen. That’s how much protection you have from a door.”
One last major tip: making sure to have an evacuation plan from your home.
“You’ve gotta have a plan to get out of your house,” Venning said. “You should have two main ways out of your house, and if you have children, you should have a meeting place. That makes a big difference for us when we get to a fire and you can account for your whole family.”
“These are things that people absolutely need to know and understand,” Miller said. “These things can save lives–smoke detectors and keeping your doors shut.”
For more information on ways to help you and your family stay safe in a fire, click here.
