SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane firefighters responded to the scene of a fire on Wednesday night, where a car had crashed into a house and a fire had started.
City of Spokane firefighters were dispatched to the 1400 block of East Courtland Avenue, the scene of the crash and the fire, at 10:22 p.m.
They had been told that the car was on fire, which threatened to set the house on fire as well. They were also told that the driver was out of the car but there might be a person inside the home.
Firefighters arrived within four minutes, according to the City of Spokane Fire Department.
The outside of the house had caught fire when firefighters arrived. Crews quickly searched the home and found no one inside. They later found the woman who had been inside the home at a neighbor’s house.
Firefighters suppressed the fire on the home and the car. They said the car had damaged the home’s natural gas meter, which could have escalated the situation, but that the system was equipped with an Excess Flow Valve, which shut off the gas supply.
AMR paramedics evaluated the driver and the homeowner and told the department they did not need hospital transport.
The Spokane Fire Department said the Spokane Police Department then took the driver into custody.
The department said the Regional Technical Rescue Team assessed the house and said it would not collapse and that fire damage was limited. Avista responded as well to repair the gas line and valve.
