SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — A large fire destroyed a house in Otis Orchards on Wednesday night and sent one firefighter to the hospital.
The fire started around 10 p.m. on E. Crestwood Ln. near N. Campbell Rd. Spokane Valley Fire Department said the first crews responding to the scene could see the flames from about half a mile away.
As of Thursday morning, the fire has been knocked down but ladders have been brought in to smother the remaining embers with water.
The Spokane Valley Fire Department said in a news release that a lack of hydrants caused significant challenges, with the closest hydrant being a half-mile away. The first engine at the house fire ran out of water. Additional engines arrived to provide water but also ran out.
Newman Lake and Hauser Lake Fire Departments were able to bring in water tenders to help shuttle water to the fire.
Spokane Valley Fire said one firefighter was taken to the hospital out of an abundance of caution, where he was examined and later released.
The house was largely destroyed in the fire. The fire department said no one is living in it right now. It had last been occupied in June and the owners were preparing to sell it.
As of Thursday morning, fire investigators were still waiting for it to be safe to enter the area and try to figure out what started the fire. Spokane Valley Fire Department posted on Facebook that, "with the amount of damage this extensive, it's often difficult to determine what happened to start the fire."