Blotter: Church’s new eternal flame candle burns poorly; Range Rover burns up on S.R. 18

Police and fire agencies in the Snoqualmie Valley responded to the following calls:

Snoqualmie Fire Department

Thursday, Dec. 15

False alarm: At 4:35 p.m., Snoqualmie firefighters were dispatched to a residential fire alarm on S.E. Fury Street. They met with the homeowner who said his 18-month-old child had accidentally activated the alarm.

Friday, Dec. 16

Electrical problem: At 5:08 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to an automatic fire alarm at the Salish Lodge & Spa. They met with lodge staff who directed them to the kitchen, where smoke was seen coming from three ceiling vents. The vents had a burnt, electrical odor. The crew contacted the engineering department and shut off the air return unit, which also had the burnt odor. They advised the staff not to restart the fan until it was repaired.

Saturday, Dec. 17

Burnt food: At 5:35 a.m., Snoqualmie firefighters responded to the Zetec Building on Bracken Place S.E. for an automatic fire alarm. They found that the alarm was set off by burnt food, and reset the alarm.

Water line: At 12:48 p.m., a resident on S.E. Sandalee Court called in a report of a broken water line. Firefighters shut down the water at the meter and told the home owner to call a plumber.

False alarm: At 4:19 p.m., Snoqualmie firefighters responded to the Falls Condos on Fairway Avenue S.E. for an automatic fire alarm. They found smoke detectors sounding in a unit for no apparent reason. They spoke with the owner, who said the alarms had been sounding earlier in the day. He disconnected one of the detectors in a bedroom and all the alarms stopped. He was advised to clean or replace the smoke detectors.

Sunday, Dec. 18

Burning oil: At 12:06 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to a reported problem with an oil-burning candle inside the Episcopal Church on Railroad Avenue S.E. Upon arrival, the crew was met by the head deacon, who said the church just started using a new “oil-burning” candle inside, and after leaving it burning overnight, they found that the oil had become an aerosol, staining the church walls. Firefighters examined the candle, and determined that it was simply not burning all of the fuel. Although there appeared to be no danger, firefighters advised the deacon to discontinue use of the candle.

Broken pipe: At 1:20 p.m., Snoqualmie firefighters responded to Cascade View Elementary on S.E. Ridge Street for a water flow alarm. They found water flowing from a broken sprinkler pipe, outside, behind the school. They cut the water to the pipe and turned the building over to the school maintenance staff for repairs.

Gas odor: At 1:45 p.m., firefighters responded to the area of Railroad S.E. and Meadowbrook Way for a report of an odor of natural gas in the area. The call came from one party, who gave no specifics. The crew drove through the area, then walked it, but was unable to find any odor around the intersection. They checked with nearby businesses, none of which reported noticing the odor.

Monday, Dec. 19

Vehicle fire: At 9:21 a.m., Snoqualmie firefighters and the Fire Captain responded to a report of a vehicle fire on the side of the road at S.R. 18 at the Tiger Mountain Summit. They arrived to find an unoccupied Range Rover fully engulfed in flames. The crew used a dry-chemical extinguisher along with water and foam to put out the fire, which appeared to have started in the engine compartment. The driver said he was driving eastbound on 18 when his windshield wipers developed electrical problems, so he pulled over to wait for the weather to clear. Someone stopped to tell the driver that his vehicle was on fire, and he got out. The vehicle was a total loss.

Burst pipe: At 2:16 p.m., Snoqualmie firefighters and the Fire Captain responded to a home on Douglas Ave S.E. for a report of a burst water pipe inside a wall. At the house, they worked with the homeowner to locate the problem and start the cleanup.

Medical aid: In addition to the above calls, Snoqualmie EMTs responded to 11 medical aid incidents, bringing the total number of calls to date to 1,101.