SVFD Report – End of Year 2022

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Spokane Valley Fire Department crews responded to a total of 1,779 emergency calls in the greater Liberty Lake area in 2022.

• Emergency Medical Services 1,447

• Building Alarm 105

• Car Collisions 79

• Fires 36

• Hazardous Materials 24

• Dispatched and cancelled enroute 24

• CARES 23

• Service Calls 20

• Technical Rescue 7

• Vehicle Fires 6

• Wildland Fires 6

• Commercial Fires 4

• Brush Fires 3

• Other 1

Of note:

• As of December 31, 2022, Year-to-Date incident total - 23,235 for the entire SVFD Fire District. 1,779 were in the Liberty Lake area.

• Emergency Medical Services were 81.76% of all SVFD incidents.

• Fire Suppression (fire and Building Alarms) was 8.27% of all SVFD incidents.

• Tech Rescue was 5.5 % of all SVFD incidents.

Please remember:

• Colder temperatures and winter weather continues, please Drive Safely.

• Be careful with portable heaters. Keep flammable items away from them and turn them off when not in the room.

• If you have chicken coops, please make sure to use a fire safe heating pad inside the coop. Heating lamps can catch straw and other flammable items inside the coop on fire.

• Please Vote. SVFD M&O Levy will be on the February 14 ballot. This is not a new tax. It is the recurring Maintenance and Operations Levy that refreshes every four years. Information can be found at Spokanevalleyfire.com.

Incidents:

Structure Fire – February 27, 2022 - Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) responded to a reported residential structure fire at approximately 2:30 pm today in the North 3400 Block of Arden Road in Spokane Valley.

A neighbor saw smoke and flames coming from the side of the structure and called 911. The first arriving crews pulled a preconnected hand line from an engine to knock down the fire on the exterior of the structure. Additional crews took handlines to the interior of the structure and extinguished the fire and ensured that the fire had not extended. A thorough search of the structure was performed to ensure that no one was inside the residence. The fire was contained to one corner of the building.

The residents were not home at the time of the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A total of 12 fire units responded to the call. No injuries were reported.

Photos from the fire scene are posted on our Facebook page.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department would like to remind residents to be aware of their neighborhood surroundings.

Structure Fire - November 13, 2022 - Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) responded at 9:49 am to 17200 block of E. Coach Drive for a reported structure fire. Initial reports came from firefighters in the area, witnessing smoke in the area. More calls to 911 immediately followed, providing information about a kitchen fire in a residence.

The first due unit, Valley Squad 10 (VS10) from Station 10 in Greenacres was on scene within one minute and 30 seconds from time of dispatch; due to the early alert from the witnessed smoke. VS10 reported heavy smoke throughout the structure and upgraded the call to a working fire, summoning additional resources. Additional crews arrived within moments, and limited fire damage to the kitchen area, and attic space above. There was significant smoke damage throughout the structure.

The resident was heating water on the stove in a tea kettle, when she stated that she walked away. Smoke detectors alerted her to a fire, and she attempted to get her cell phone, but the smoke hindered her efforts. The resident was outside when fire units arrived and was evaluated by paramedics due to concerns of smoke inhalation. There were no injuries reported by firefighters or civilians.

A total of seven Engines, two Ladder trucks, three command vehicles and one fire investigator were dispatched, bringing a total of 33 personnel to the scene to handle the large number of labor-intensive tasks that need to be accomplished as soon as possible at a working fire. Fire District 8 responded as part of automatic aid, and AMR assisted with medical care.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department would like to remind everyone ‘watch what you HEAT’. The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food. Turn off the burner if you leave the kitchen for any reason.

Sick Call Turns to Fire Response – November 14, 2022 - Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) responded at 2:06 a.m.to the 18600 block of E Lindsay Lane at the request of the Sherriff’s Office (SO) for a sick call to provide medical support and assistance from the SVFD Rescue Task Force (RTF) crew. An RTF crew consisting of a Paramedic Firefighter and EMT Firefighter responded to support the SO.

At 11:09 a.m. the call was changed from a sick call to a structure fire. The call was then upgraded to a working fire bringing more SVFD Fire crews to the scene. Moderate smoke could be seen but no flames initially coming from an upstairs location.

Thirteen additional fire units responded including Engine 82 (E82) and E85 from Spokane County Fire District 8. Due to the nature of the initial response to the incident, initial crews were unable to enter the house initially or walk around the entire structure to establish all the elements of the fire until the SO allowed for access.

Fire crews were allowed access to the inside of the home and then had to vacate the structure due to safety concerns. Crews continued to combat the flames from a safe distance and despite a difficult situation and unusual circumstances were able to knock the fire down without any harm occurring to Firefighters or nearby citizens or houses.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department would like to remind everyone to call 911 immediately if you hear or see anything that is a threat to your fire and life safety.

Car Collision – November 26, 2022 - Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) responded at 2:25 pm to the intersection of Trent and Pines in the Spokane Valley. Calls to 911 reported several patients, including two with possible life-threatening injuries, which prompted dispatching of two paramedic fire engines and an ambulance.

The first arriving unit, Engine 6 (VE6) responded from the Millwood area and arrived on scene to find two vehicles blocking all lanes of eastbound Hwy 290 (Trent Ave.) at Pines. The call was upgraded to an extrication response for the two trapped patients, bringing specialized units carrying tools for dismantling a car, additional SVFD paramedics and two more ambulances.

An AMR (American Medical Response) ambulance arrived and began assisting with medical care for three of the occupants who got out on their own. Multiple fire units arrived as part of the extrication response to begin cutting the vehicles away from the remaining two occupants, removing doors, etc and provide needed access for paramedics from both SVFD and AMR. There was a total of five occupants in both vehicles. Four were treated and transported emergently by ambulance to the hospital. One occupant was declared deceased on scene. Due to HIPAA laws, no further info about patients’ injuries will be available from SVFD.

A total of five Engines, two Ladder trucks, three command vehicles, three AMR ambulances and multiple Spokane Sheriff and WSP units responded, bringing a total of 32 fire and medical personnel to the scene. There were no injuries reported to responders.

The cause of the collision is under investigation by WA State Patrol, and any further information will come from WSP; and Trent will remain limited with eastbound lanes closed and detours in place for the duration of the investigation.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department would like to remind everyone of Washington State’s “Drive to Zero”, a strategic highway safety plan. The goal is ZERO traffic deaths and serious injuries by the year 2030. You can help by driving sober, choosing to go the speed limit, driving distraction free, and wearing your seatbelt. See wadrivetozero. com or for more information.