Working Smoke Alarms Help Seven Escape Early-Morning House Fire

Working Smoke Alarms Help Seven Escape Early-Morning House Fire

Justin de Ruyter, Spokane Fire PIO, [email protected]

Tuesday, June 2, 2026 at 12:07 p.m.

June 2, 2026- At 4:01 a.m. today, firefighters responded to a house fire in the 800 block of East Indiana Ave. Reports indicated a fully involved basement fire with two elderly residents trapped inside. Engine 2 and Truck 2 from the Bemiss neighborhood arrived within four minutes and confirmed the basement fire. Truck 2 firefighters accessed the upper bedrooms by ladder, encountering dense smoke and limited visibility. Attempts to reach the basement via internal stairs were unsuccessful due to heavy fire and a stairway failure. Firefighters extinguished the fire through a boarded exterior window.

During their search, firefighters found a cat and brought it safely outside. Functioning smoke alarms alerted residents on the main and second floors, allowing them to evacuate before firefighters arrived. An elderly adult female was transported to the hospital as a precaution due to existing medical conditions.

A fire investigation, with assistance from Spokane County Fire District 4, determined the fire was caused by combustibles placed too close to a basement heater. The basement sustained heavy fire damage, with smoke damage throughout the rest of the home. The Red Cross was summoned to the scene to assist with temporary housing for seven displaced adult residents.

This incident highlights the importance of working smoke alarms in saving lives. The Spokane Fire Department provides and installs smoke alarms free of charge for qualifying homes. For more information about this program or questions about smoke alarm coverage, please contact .

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