Apartment fire leaves 60 without a home for the night
At least 60 people weren’t able to return home Monday night after a fire blackened part of a Prosser apartment complex.
People spotted smoke coming from a first-floor apartment at 1855 Wine Country Road at 6:20 p.m.
After hearing someone may be inside, a Prosser police officer tried forcing his way in, but the smoke was too thick, said a Prosser police Facebook post.
“There was approximately a foot of clearance on the floor from the smoke, and officers did not see any indication of people inside,” said the post.
It is still unclear whether anyone was inside the apartment when the fire started, but West Benton Fire Rescue said no one was hurt in the fire.
Fire crews from Benton County fire districts 2 and 4, along with Yakima Fire District 4, helped douse the blaze by 7:20 p.m.
Most of the damage was contained to a single apartment, but power was cut to the building, which left about 60 people unable to return home for the night said West Benton Capt. Todd Dormaier.
The fire appears to have started in the kitchen, said officials.
The American Red Cross of Central and Southeastern Washington housed five people in a shelter overnight at the Bethany Presbyterian Church on 201 Birch Avenue in Grandview, Executive Director Peggy Hoggarth said.
After working with the people affected, they decided to close the shelter on Tuesday. Some were able to return to the apartment building, while others found places to stay with relatives or in a hotel.
This story was originally published January 22, 2019 at 10:25 AM.