Air conditioner blamed in death of 2 children in mobile home fire

An electrical outlet overloaded by an air conditioner likely started a Prosser fire that killed two children early Thursday.

The 10-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl were asleep alone in the home after their parents left about 4:45 a.m. for work, said Benton County Sheriff Jerry Hatcher.

The outside outlet on a porch appears to have caught fire sometime before 6 a.m., then the fire spread inside, said Hatcher.

Neighbors saw the fire just before 6 a.m. and pounded on the door to see if anyone was home, he said. They tried to open a door and break open windows, but they couldn’t get inside.

Fire crews with West Benton Fire and Rescue arrived soon after at the Hillview mobile home community.

During a search inside, firefighters found the kids passed out, according to dispatch reports.

Rescuers performed CPR but the girl could not be revived, said Hatcher.

The boy was taken to Prosser Memorial but later died.

Neighbors told the Herald that the children’s parents are farm workers.

Hatcher said there are early indications that a babysitter was supposed to be with the Gonzalez family’s children.

Benton County Coroner Bill Leach said their names will be released by the sheriff’s office.

Earlier this week, in an eerily similar tragedy, the parents of two other children filed suit against a Canadian vineyard owner after their 10-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl died in a manufactured home fire near Benton City in 2017.

The parents were working in a vineyard a half mile away when the house caught fire two years ago. They claim the company-provided housing was not equipped with smoke alarms.

It’s not clear if Prosser home had smoke detectors.

The sheriff’s office said people can can help the Gonzalez family through the sheriff’s office foundation.

Donations can be made from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the sheriff’s office or by calling 509-735-6555. Checks can be mailed to Benton County Sheriff Foundation, 8220 W. Gage Blvd. #176, Kennewick, WA 99336.

Checks should be made to the Benton County Sheriff’s Foundation in care of the Gonzalez family.

This story was originally published July 25, 2019 at 8:41 AM with the headline "Air conditioner blamed in death of 2 children in mobile home fire."