Fire destroys Cheney apartments

An early afternoon fire destroyed four units and left several residents of Cheney's 100 Washington Square apartment complex homeless last Saturday, Aug. 5.

Cheney Fire Department Lt. Tim Steiner said the call came in just before 2 p.m. of a working fire at the complex on First Street between Salnave and Washington. Crews from Spokane County Fire District 3 Station 31 about a half mile to the west arrived just before Cheney, making sure all residents had evacuated the four-apartment structure while Cheney began fire suppression.

Steiner said the initial fire was knocked down within about 10 minutes of crews' arrival, with mop-up work continuing the rest of the afternoon. One crew remained onsite until well into the evening.

Also responding to the blaze were elements of Spokane County Fire District 10, Fairchild Air Force Base's fire department and a ladder truck from the city of Spokane Fire Department. Also providing service was a crew from the Medical Lake Fire Department, who manned the Cheney station to handle other any other calls.

Four individuals were taken to the hospital. One was an apartment resident with minor burns, another a Cheney firefighter for heat exhaustion and two first responders, a SCFD 3 firefighter and an Eastern Washington University police officer, for smoke inhalation. Steiner said the EWU officer was likely first on the scene.

EWUPD Deputy Chief Gary Gasseling said two university officers were on scene prior to fire crews arriving. While helping with the evacuation, Officer Nick Bickley went to the second floor upon hearing a female yelling for help, but after beating on the apartment door and getting no response, was forced back by the heat and heavy smoke.

Bickley and Sgt. Elvin Bermudez eventually went back upstairs and were able to reach the apartment where they helped get the female occupant out and to safety.

Bickley was transported to Sacred Heart Medical Lake Center where he was treated and later released.

"Both officers did a tremendous job in light of the high risk they faced with the active fire," Gasseling said in an email.

Steiner also said the department's main attack engine had its alternator go out during the incident, putting it out of service. Fire District 3 loaned Cheney an engine to cover incidents until Engine No. 1 was repaired.

Steiner said an investigator from the city of Spokane's fire department was called in to help determine the fire's cause. One downstairs unit was heavily damaged from smoke and water while a second unit and both upstairs units were destroyed by the fire, making it nearly impossible to isolate a cause. Initial media reports said residents claimed they believed a resident smoking near her oxygen tank might have started the blaze.

"We cannot confirm that," Steiner said. "The resident that's there denies that."

Two additional units in a nearby building were also damaged, displacing those residents as well. Red Cross officials were contacted and helped residents find lodging over the weekend. Steiner said several of them also lacked renter's insurance, creating more difficulties.

Pat Hardwick, who lives in another four-apartment building in the complex and was visiting family in Spokane over the weekend, said she is working with individuals on efforts to help residents' replace possessions lost in the fire. They are looking for temporary housing for those residents, as well as a drop off location for donations such as clothing, furnishings and furniture.

"Of course, there's an immediate need for money because they're all low income," Hardwick said.

Hardwick asked that interested donors hang onto their items until notified where to take them. Individuals, groups or businesses wishing to help out with the relief effort can contact her at (509) 939-6873.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.