SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane firefighters responded to a reported fire on Thursday morning at the Park Tower Apartments in downtown Spokane.
According to Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer, about 35 to 40 firefighters responded to the scene on Thursday morning at the apartment complex located at 217 West Spokane Falls Boulevard and North Browne Street.
Firefighters arrived at the apartment complex and located the fire that started at one of the apartments on the ninth floor. Firefighters did a search to locate anybody inside the apartment but nobody was inside. Fire crews used tools to extinguish the fire and safely evacuated the residents living on the ninth floor and all the floors above.
Schaeffer said two vulnerable senior residents were treated. One received medical attention at the scene due to a pre-existing health condition, and the other resident, who also had a pre-existing condition, was transported to the hospital after suffering from smoke inhalation.
Schaeffer said firefighters restored the alarm system at the complex apartment and occupants were allowed to reoccupy the apartment except for the unit where the fire took place.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Spokane Falls Boulevard was blocked off during the time firefighters were working on the fire.
This is not the first time the Park Tower Apartments caught fire; another fire was reported in the apartment last month. During that reported fire, a man was rescued from the ninth floor of the senior apartment complex and taken to the hospital. Several other residents were also taken to the hospital.
While no one was hurt in the fire, Schaeffer still worries for the safety of the people who live at the Park Tower because this apartment complex does not have a sprinkler system. There are only hard-wired smoke alarms, which are common among older buildings in Spokane.