DATE OF INCIDENT: 12/22/2010
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 123 N. Bernard
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99201
NARRATIVE: The Spokane City Fire Dept. dispatched fire fighting crews and their apparatus to 123 N. Bernard , the Sherwood Apartments, at 16:53 hrs on Wednesday, Dec. 22nd, for a possible apartment fire. The first arriving fire companies from Station #1, located just a few blocks away, quickly reached the scene and reported thick, black smoke coming from an open window on the third floor of a four story brick apartment building. As those first companies were arriving on scene they were getting reports that there were many tenants down and/or trapped inside the building and some tenants were seen by the fire fighters at the upper floor windows yelling for help. More fire apparatus began arriving on scene. Some of those crews were ordered to advance fire attack hose leads inside the building while other crews were given orders to "mask up" and get inside in order to find and rescue the terrified tenants. Multiple, unselfish acts of courage were performed by the fire fighters to find and remove many of the tenants; some were found lying on the floors near the elevators and were escorted down the stairs to the outside, some were taken down by ground ladders, and still others were removed from the upper floor windows by fire apparatus aerial platforms. Some of the residents required transportation to area hospitals for smoke inhalation, cuts, and other types of injuries. Unfortunately one tenant who lived on the third floor was found deceased in his apartment where the fire is believed to have gotten its start. The fire scene was hectic as crews fought their way through the toxic gases contained in the acrid smoke and were finally able to get water on the ever growing fire, containing the fire to the apartment of origin. Initial fire resources on scene were quickly given assignments and as those companies went to work it became obvious that additional resources were going to be needed in order to cover all of the other tasks that required attention. To get additional resources to the scene a second alarm was requested and shortly after that a request for a third alarm was given. A bus was provided by the Spokane Transit Authority for the displaced tenants, giving them a place to stay where they could be out of the inclement weather and volunteers from the Red Cross began arriving to assist those tenants with temporary lodging. Nearly all of the City's fire fighting resources were at this fire, only three stations were left to cover the rest of the City, almost fifty fire fighters responded to the fire and they fought hard to limit the amount of fire damage to the apartment of origin. The exact number and types of injuries sustained by the residents of the apartment building were not known at the time of this release. There were no reports of any injuries to the fire fighters on scene. The cause of this fatal fire is being investigated by the Spokane City Fire Dept.'s Special Investigation Unit.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Under investigation.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Fire damage was limited to the apartment of origin, heat damage was limited to the 3rd floor of the building, smoke damage occurred throughout the structure.
DOLLAR LOSS: 75,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 50
MUTUAL AID: None Given
For more information on this release, please call (509)625-7002 and/or check out the SFD Blog at www.spokanefire.blogspot.com
END OF RELEASE
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