2 kids jump from 3rd-floor apartment to escape Spokane fire

Associated Press

SPOKANE — Two children had to jump from a third-floor window of a Spokane apartment building to escape a fire that was caused after the family’s Christmas tree burst into flames.

A 9-year-old boy who jumped as people gathered below had to be taken to the hospital to be checked out, but fire officials said his injuries were not life-threatening. The boy’s 5-year-old sister, who also jumped, was not injured.

KHQ-TV reported the fire occurred just after 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at a large apartment complex on the city’s South Hill.

The third-story window was about 25 feet above the ground, said Julie O’Berg of the Spokane Fire Department.

The father, Kevin Hulme, was not in the apartment when the tree caught fire. His wife ran to get help but could not re-enter the apartment because of smoke.

Thick smoke poured out of the apartment as people gathered outside and urged the children to jump.

After helping his sister jump, the boy jumped and fell head-first, witness Trevor Main said.

“Watching him fall was like so scary, head-first,” Main said.

Witnesses attempted to catch the boy but he slipped through their arms and landed in landscaping rock, Main said.

Luckily, the group had been able to break the boy’s fall and reduce the impact, Main said.