She tried to warm up her Pasco house; instead, it caught on fire

A home in central Pasco was significantly damaged early Saturday after the resident threw a flaming canister of liquid fire starter on the back porch, then couldn’t find anything to put it out.

By the time firefighters arrived at 1908 W. Hopkins St., the fire was “pretty well involved” as the flames had spread up the back of the two-story house and into the attic, said Battalion Chief Don Donais.

A woman and her pets got out without any injuries. Donais said there may have been a few children in the home when the fire started, and they were quickly whisked off to a neighbor’s house.

The upstairs roof on the backside collapsed, and the home now is uninhabitable without some major renovations, he said. The fire department chaplain put the woman in contact with the American Red Cross for temporary living arrangements.

The call came in at 12:48 a.m., and crews were on scene in five minutes.

A total 25 firefighters battled the blaze, with Kennewick and Franklin County Fire District 3 assisting. The fire was under control by 2:19 a.m.

Donais said the resident had a fire going in the fireplace to help heat the house because the power had been shut off to the building the day before. In an attempt to get the fire going better, she was spraying it with liquid fire starter when the canister in her hands caught on fire, he said.

She tried to throw the canister into the yard, Donais said, but it landed on the back porch and she was unable to extinguish the flames.

Donais added that weather conditions at the freezing point make it difficult to fight fires this time of year.

“Obviously, any time water is on the sidewalks and streets, it makes it slick and hazardous for us to fight fires,” he said.

Fire officials want to remind people to call 911 first, instead of waiting until you’ve exhausted all efforts to put it out and by that time the fire has gotten too big.

This story was originally published December 16, 2017 at 4:21 PM with the headline "She tried to warm up her Pasco house; instead, it caught on fire."