The Valley Regional Fire Authority responded to 161 calls for service between May 11 and May 17, among them the following:
May 11
Bicycle Accident: 3:10 p.m., (Auburn). Firefighters responded to 3rd Street Northwest and C Street Northwest where a bicyclist had fallen from his bike. VRFA and Medic One personnel evaluated and stabilized the man then American Medical Response transported him to Auburn Regional Medical Center.
May 12
Head Injury: 1:45 p.m., (Auburn). Valley Com dispatched firefighters to a report of an unconscious man who had been hit in the head by a falling log. Firefighters arrived to find the man conscious but confused and feisty. Concerned about a possible head injury, firefighters stabilized the man on a backboard while paramedics provided advanced life support care. Airlift Northwest helicopter then flew the man to Harborwiew Medical Center.
May 13
Service Call: 9:20 a.m., (Pacific). Responding to a possible fire in a furnace, Engine 38 found a closet-based furnace that appeared to be malfunctioning and was warm to the touch. Firefighters secured power to the furnace and advised the occupant to contact the owner, leave the power in the off position and arrange for a technician to inspect the errant device.
May 14
Service Call: 9:11 p.m., (Auburn). Valley Com dispatched firefighters to a broken water line in an apartment. What firefighters found was a broken water line from a washing machine that was flooding the top unit and beginning to affect the apartment below. Personnel removed most of the water with squeegees, shut off water at the main, secured electricity at the breaker and coordinated with maintenance for further clean up and relocation of occupants to a lower apartment.
May 15
Aid Call: 10:17 a.m., (Auburn). VRFA firefighters and King County Medic 6 responding to a reported rider down on the track at Emerald Downs found that Emerald Downs EMT’s had already c-collared and backboarded the unconscious woman. VRFA & Medic-1 personnel evaluated and treated the woman, whereupon she regained consciousness and started to complain that she was having a very hard time breathing. King County Medics treated her for a chest injury. Airlift Northwest flew the injured woman to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.
May 16
Oven fire: 2:47 p.m., (Pacific). Firefighters responded to a reported oven fire and found light smoke throughout the residence from a pizza left unattended in the oven. Engine 38 helped the 14 year-old occupant to clear the house of smoke. During the call the crew also noted that no smoke detector had activated. The hard wired detector was found inoperable and firefighters replaced it with a battery-operated detector. The occupant was advised to have the owner of the residence replace the hardwire unit as soon as possible.
May 17
Automatic Fire Alarm: 2:15 a.m., (Auburn). Firefighters responded to the Pepper Tree Inn at the 400 block of 8th Street Southwest to initial reports of a pull station alarm and a fire on the third floor. What they found was an evacuated hotel and a member of the hotel staff standing at the front door with a fire extinguisher. The employee said that he thought he had put the fire out, but he wasn’t sure because of the smoke in the room. Once firefighters got into the room. they found it charged with smoke and powder from the dry chemical extinguisher. When VRFA personnel confirmed the fire was out, they aired the room. Investigation traced the fire to a candle that had been left burning on a plastic step stool in the bathroom.
