Many Rescued from Wash. Apartment Fire

One resident was burned in a fire in an North Spokane apartment building that has been plagued by false alarms in the last month.

Firefighters arrived at the home converted into apartments at 903 W. Augusta at 2:45 p.m. to find a column of smoke rising into the air and flames visible through a front window. Most residents, however, were still inside.

“We’ve had a problem with this structure for a while with false alarms and people are reluctant to leave,” said Spokane Fire Department Battalion Chief Joel Fielder. “Our crews have come here several times over the last month. People think it’s just another false alarm.”

Firefighters rescued several people from inside the eight apartments. One resident was taken to a local hospital for treatment for burns and smoke inhalation.

Another resident just had time to grab his two cats before escaping out into the snow with bare feet. Resident Steve Zimmerman sat in a lawn chair bundled in blankets as he waited for the Red Cross to arrive. A neighbor brought him a cup of hot coffee and a cigarette as he waited.

“I heard the alarm and came out,” Zimmerman said. “I live on the second floor, or did.”

The flames were confined to an apartment on the first floor, said Fielder. Residents in the other apartments will likely be able to return in a day or two once power is restored, he said.

Jaclyn Archer contributed to this report.

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