Spokane, Washington – Garage Fire Damages Vehicles, Causes Explosions

Spokane, Washington (September 22, 2019) – A garage fire on the 2500 block of North Sycamore Street caused explosions and damaged vehicles on early Sunday morning. Fortunately, the fire was prevented from spreading to nearby structures. No one was injured in the incident.

The incident happened before 5 a.m. By the time first crews arrived, the fire had already spread to two vehicles and severed a live electrical wire. The fire also caused explosions due to a number of propane tanks and other flammable liquids that had been stored in the garage. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

About Fire

The US Fire Administration has recorded 15 home fire fatalities this year within Washington.  Statistics from the NFPA have recorded that cooking equipment were the leading cause of home structure fires, home fire injuries, as well as being the second leading case of home fire deaths. Additionally, smoking materials are the leading case of home fire deaths, though it isn’t always the case every year. Always handle fire with wariness and see to it that fires are always extinguished after use. Remember also to assess the area where fire is going to be used and see to it that complete fire safety is practiced at all times.

Aside from cooking equipment and smoking materials, electrical causes remain to be one of the top causes for home fires according to the NFPA. Their Electrical Fire Reports to the U.S Fire Department since 2000 estimates around 45,000 to 55,000 cases of home fires being caused by electrical malfunction every year. Annual losses due to electrical fire result in 455 civilian deaths, 1, 500 civilian injuries and 1.5 billion of dollars in direct property damage. From these statistics, the risk from electrical fire is very real and should not be underestimated. As for the accidents themselves, the NFPA lists 63 percent involved wiring and related equipment, 74 percent cited some sort of electrical failure or malfunction, and wire or cable insulation was the first item ignited in 32 percent of electrical distribution or lighting equipment home structure fires.

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