An old Spokane home went up in flames as a Spokane County fire department held an extensive training day.
About 40 new recruits for the District 10 department took turns going in and out of burning bedrooms inside the building.
The house was donated to the department specifically for the training.
“We’re mostly training on fire behavior on how a fire behaves in an actual house,” said Fire Chief Orlando Sandoval.
Before the training, crews stripped the home of all its wiring and pipes and installed extra layers on the walls, ceiling and floors to make the building sturdier for the trainees.
Crews set flames to towers of shredded wood inside several bedrooms and sent in the training crews to put out the fires.
“It’s a unique opportunity to test our skills,” Sandoval said.
The chief also said they want to educate the public on how to prevent flames from building inside their homes.
He said to closely watch your heating appliances and check for any frayed cords. If you have a fireplace, make sure your chimney is clear of heavy soot, and keep enough space between your heater and any flammable materials.
At the end of the training, the department let the flames burn the house to the ground. Sandoval said another building is set to replace it.