One person dead in northwest Spokane house fire

One person died in a house fire Tuesday night in northwest Spokane.

Spokane Fire Department spokesman Justin de Ruyter said firefighters were called to the fire near Elmhurst Avenue and Fleming Street at about 6:20 p.m. and arrived four minutes later.

He said fire units spotted abundant flames coming from the garage and back of the house. They encountered thick black smoke inside the home and found a person dead inside.

The name, age and gender of the person was not disclosed.

He said neighbors reported hearing explosions from the garage and seeing a collapsed ceiling.

Baylee McHaney, who lives next door to the burned home, said she heard explosions after the house was already in flames.

She said she was in her home when she heard yelling. Someone then knocked on her door and said her neighbor’s house was on fire.

“When we came out, the house was already in flames,” she said.

McHaney said she and her fiancé moved their cars away from their driveway.

De Ruyter said there were no other injuries of which he was aware, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Several fire trucks, firefighters and Spokane police cars and officers were still on scene two hours after the fire. De Ruyter said he expected the investigation to last through the night and part of Wednesday.

The fire was extinguished, but smoke was still emanating from the home as first responders worked Tuesday night.