A fire at a Spokane Valley apartment complex Friday night displaced 14 people and severely damaged two units, according to fire officials.
Fire officials said a propane barbecue placed too close to flammable materials on a second-story balcony caused the fire, SVFD said no one was hurt in the blaze.
"I recall the smell of fire and the smoke and everything from fires back in New Jersey," said Gloria Lisboa, one of the people displaced by the fire. Lisboa is a local school bus driver. She wasn't home when the fire started and was shocked when she heard about the flames from a property manager.
"When she spoke to me it left me dumbfounded," Lisboa said. "I couldn't speak, gagged up the way I'm doing now. It's bad. It's not a good feeling to come home and your home is burnt up."
Lisboa is staying at a local hotel with some help from her renter's insurance. Luckily, her belongings made it out mostly unscathed.