Spokane: Northside Basement Fire
Washingtoner/10152050

Tour Commander, 509.625.7100

On January 18, 2022, at 1:11 PM, 911 received a call from a homeowner reporting a fire in the interior basement wall of his residence. The home is located in the 8600 block of North Kelly Court, and a fire company was only two minutes away when the call was dispatched.

When the initial company began investigating, they discovered a working fire in an exterior wall adjacent to a woodstove venting system. The fire rapidly moved vertically, endangering other home areas, including the attic and living space. Firefighters worked from both the interior and exterior of the structure to identify hot spots, remove a wood facade surrounding a chimney pipe, and quickly extinguish the fire before it could damage the home's interior. There were no civilian or firefighter injuries as a result of this incident.

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The homeowner indicated that the chimney pipe had not been cleaned in 30 years. As a result, the cause of the fire was hot creosote from a flu pipe that fell into the wood facade and created a smoldering fire until the homeowner, fortunately, noticed it. ?

*Media - Educational Message: If you have a fireplace or wood-burning stove, be sure only to burn dry, seasoned wood. Newspaper and kindling can be used to start a fire. Avoid using garbage or flammable liquids, as these can produce hazardous vapors and cause build-up in chimneys, which could result in an uncontrolled fire. Once a year, chimneys and vents should be cleaned and inspected by a qualified professional. Always use a metal or heat-tempered glass screen on a fireplace, and keep it in place. Be sure to keep doors of wood-burning stoves closed, as well. These screens and doors can remain hot for hours after a fire, so be careful not to touch them. Keep children and pets 3 feet away from your fireplace or wood-burning stove. If your fireplace is electric, be sure to keep "on" switches and remotes out of the reach of children.

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