SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. - A Spokane County couple walked away with only minor injuries from a fire that destroyed their home at 13819 North Forker Road and sent a plume of black smoke billing hundreds of feet into the sky.
The home is owned by Darrell and Beverly Bjerke and sits on a two-acre property that includes a shop. Darrell was at work and his wife Beverley was at home taking a nap when the fire broke out, according to Spokane County Fire District #9 Captain Dan Walsh. Beverly woke up when her dogs started barking and, by that point, told crews that "the inside of the house was just ablaze."
Walsh said Beverly made it out of the home but suffered burns to the top of her head. No one else was inside the home.
Firefighters received the first call at 5:49pm from a neighbor who saw the smoke. Walsh said large flames engulfed the home, several items around the home, and several surrounding trees. Neighbors said they heard several small explosions and then a fairly large explosion. Firefighters believe those could have been due to tires blowing out in the fire. One family member believed the explosions were due to ammunition exploding in the blaze.
Several fire trucks were called to contain the fire including seven fire engines and at least five water tenders.
Neighbor Gerry Matheson said it was the largest fire he'd ever seen and felt, "Amazement at how big a fire it was and just how heart-wrenching, especially when the gentleman came down running down the road crying out 'Oh, oh' seeing his house going up."
As the couple's son, Dennis Bjerke, arrived on scene it was a very emotional moment as he waited to hear if his parents were ok.
"Getting here was priority for me. Hearing that they're safe, that's everything right now," Dennis said.
Dennis said his parents hoarded "everything you can imagine" including wood, materials, and pets like the people featured on the TV show "Hoarders". He also said the home hasn't had running water in a long time. He believes that added to the intensity of the fire.
"They won't admit it and I know that. I love them to death, and this is the result," Dennis continued. "Knowing how much is involved and how much is up there, it's like lighting off a matchbook with a single match and it just takes the whole place out. It wouldn't take much at all. And it's something I wouldn't wish on anybody."
Dennis estimated that there were tens of thousands of dollars lost in the shop alone with several tools and 'miscellaneous odds and ends' inside.
Parts of Forker road were closed for hours Thursday night as crews did not want to let anyone close to the fire except the owners of the affected areas and family.
Crews also said this was a tougher fire to fight because of the items around the house as well as the location. Walsh added that the closest fire hydrant was five miles away so they had to bring in several water tenders to put out the fire.
"There's a lot of stuff around the house which made it a bit more difficult," Walsh said. "Lots of items were burning."
Crews are still investigating the cause.
Photo Courtesy Colton Matheson
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