There is an absence of the usual hustle and bustle in much of northwest Spokane: children chittering on trampolines in shaded backyards, cars firing up for the morning commute and the barking of dogs.
But on Aug. 12, the sound of laughter returned to the scorched remnants of one of those blocks.
“The last time I was here, it was a war zone,” said Spokane Fire Capt. David Wood. “Coming here today, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel.”…