Security guard rescues man from RV fire at I-90 homeless camp
Spokane Washington May 22nd, 2023 A security officer is being called a hero after rescuing a man from an RV fire in the I-90 homeless camp on Friday night.
According to the Spokane Fire Department (SFD), an observant security officer noticed the heavy smoke coming from the RV and opened the door to rescue the man who was asleep inside.
The occupant and the security officer told firefighters they saw heavy fire above the occupant’s head rolling toward the rear of the trailer when they crawled out.
SFD said the occupant only had seconds before a flashover of the space happened, which most likely both people.
Firefighters arrived at the scene within two minutes of the 911 call. When they arrived, they had to cut the fence to access the southwest corner of the camp.
Fire crews searched inside the RV and extinguished the flames in about eight minutes despite obstacles and heavy clutter. An additional ladder company also helped. No injuries were reported.
Firefighters determined the cause was because of an electrical circuit being overloaded, which was connected by a small generator. The electrical circuit had no protection to prevent a fire. SFD report it was severely overloaded with appliances and a window air conditioning unit.
The damage to the RV and its contents resulted in a complete loss.
The Red Cross is now helping the occupants.
