One man dies in Newman Lake house fire

May 1—A man died Tuesday in a house fire on the shores of Newman Lake.

Newman Lake Fire and Rescue responded to 12825 N. Park St. around 2 p.m. The house, which sits on the edge of the lake, was destroyed.

Fire officials at the scene on Wednesday said a man died in the fire. His body was pulled from the rubble around 7:30 p.m., neighbor Jon Stevens said.

Stevens was watching the fire from his home across the street. He said the man, who has not been identified by the medical examiner, was legally burning pine needles and trash on his property when the fire started. It was a windy day, typically not a day people in the area would commit to any legal burns, Stevens said.

Stevens' sons ran into the room and told him the neighbor's home was on fire. When he looked outside, he said, a nearby pine tree was completely engulfed in flames and the fire overtook the house. Another neighbor called 911 and crews from Newman Lake, Hauser Lake and Spokane Valley responded.

The home is "very old," Stevens said. To his knowledge, the home was built partly with plywood. Other nearby houses are structurally similar.

"These old cabins are scary," Stevens said. "They burn like gasoline."

Spokane County property records indicate the home was built in 1957 and owned by Larry T. Taylor.

Since there are no fire hydrants on the side of the mountain, crews had to connect to a portable water tank to extinguish the flames. It's another thing residents in the area have to keep in mind, he said, especially when the threat of wildfire is very real. People are often out raking pine needles and pouring water on dry spots to prevent any risk of a fire.

"I'm glad it wasn't in the middle of August," Stevens said. "We just keep everything cut down as much as we can, and pray."

Investigators determined the fire was accidental, according to the Spokane Valley Fire Department.