Spokane Firefighters Battle 15 Suspicious Fires in 36 Hours
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~ Spokane, WA- A string of suspicious fires has kept the Spokane Fire Department busy over the past 36 hours. According to Justin de Ruyter, the Spokane Fire Public Information Officer, a total of 15 incidents have been reported throughout the city.

The first fire was reported just after midnight on July 8th in front of the Red Wagon in Riverfront Park. Upon arrival, firefighters found that landscaping bushes had been scorched by flames. Four hours later, at 4:17 a.m., another fire was reported outside My Fresh Basket on W Summit Parkway. Fortunately, the building's sprinkler system was able to contain the exterior blaze.

At 4:49 a.m., Engine 1 responded to two more fires near E. Spokane Falls Blvd and N. Pine Street. One fire was burning in bushes while another had damaged an EV charging station. Just over twenty minutes later, at 5:14 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to S. Sherman Street and S. Sheridan Avenue after reports of visible smoke and flames on a building's exterior. Upon arrival, they discovered two homes actively burning and several smaller fires scattered across a two-block radius.

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The affected addresses in this concentrated area were 101 S. Sherman St, 310 S. Chandler St, 324 S. Grant St, 334 S. Grant St, and 336 S. Sherman St.

Later in the afternoon, with assistance from Spokane County Fire District 9, crews were able to extinguish a grass fire in a field between two homes in the 6200 block of N. Atlantic Street.

At around 2:31 p.m., multiple callers reported two brush fires along the Centennial Trail on W Elliot Drive. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered a third fire and upgraded their response to a Second Alarm call for additional support from Spokane County Fire Districts and Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). While battling these fires, crews also located a fourth blaze that had spread rapidly uphill towards Spokane Falls Community College, prompting a Level 3 Evacuation Order for the immediate area.

With the help of a helicopter deployed by DNR, firefighters spent over three hours working to bring the fires under control.

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The following morning, at 1:23 a.m., another fire was reported near N. Ash Place and W. Euclid Avenue. A significant response was dispatched and firefighters were able to quickly control the fast-moving fire on a hillside that was threatening nearby homes.

At 9:01 a.m., multiple units responded to People's Park on W. Riverside Avenue where a 50-by-50-foot area of grass and trees was actively burning. With assistance from DNR, firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control within 20 minutes.

Thankfully, no injuries have been reported in connection with any of these fires and all evacuees were allowed to return to their homes by early evening.

The investigation into these suspicious fires is being led by the Spokane Police Department and Washington State DNR. For information about potential suspects, refer to previous SPD releases related to the early morning fires on July 8th. Any information related to these fires should be reported to Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.

Related photos have been released by the Spokane Fire Department for reference.

Filed Under: Government, City
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