Fire burns Prosser City Hall and police department. Downtown business destroyed
A Prosser butcher shop was destroyed and the police department and City Hall seriously damaged in a three-alarm fire that led to downtown street closures through the weekend.
Fifty-five firefighters from 11 agencies battled the flames Saturday. It started in the attic of Underwood’s Prosser Lockers and quickly threatened a row of businesses along Bennett Avenue.
Investigators have been called in to identify what caused it, said Chief Seth Johnson of West Benton Fire Rescue.
No one was hurt in the blaze.
A 911 caller at 12:55 p.m. reported smoke coming from the roof at 1221 Bennett Ave.
The Prosser-based fire department was first on the scene and found a fire burning in the attic space.
Two municipal buildings are next to the meat locker shop on the east and Cook’s Ace Hardware is on the west.
Another row of businesses sit directly behind Prosser Lockers along an alley, including the historic Princess Theatre and The Prosser Record-Bulletin.
While their office was threatened by the spreading flames, police worked to evacuate all of the buildings as fire crews tried to get control.
Officers were assisted by Benton County sheriff’s deputies in closing downtown streets and setting up traffic detours.
Electrical service to the neighborhood was disconnected so firefighters could safely access the roofs, Chief Johnson said in a news release. That caused a power outage for many Prosser residents.
Electricity has since been restored for all customers, aside from the affected businesses, he said.
The fire was brought under control at 9:52 p.m. Saturday, but West Benton Fire Rescue crews remained on the scene through Sunday “to monitor the situation and check for hot spots,” said Johnson.
The agency’s news release said Underwood’s Prosser Lockers is a total loss, the Prosser Police Department has extensive damage and City Hall’s is moderate.
Cook’s Ace Hardware and the Masonic Lodge both received smoke and water damage, the release said.
In addition to West Benton Fire Rescue, responding agencies included: Benton County Fire Districts 1, 2 and 4; Yakima County Fire District 5; and the cities of Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, Grandview, Sunnyside and Toppenish.
Crews were assisted in the firefighting effort by all Prosser city departments, Benton PUD, Benton REA and Cascade Natural Gas.
While a large number of firefighters were tied up on the Prosser blaze, a wildland fire was sparked along Interstate 82 between Prosser and Benton City.
The PulsePoint mobile app showed that fire at West Gibbon and West Yakitat roads started at 3:30 p.m.
Westbound traffic was reduced to one lane, which led to a backup of stopped cars and a crash which sent five people to hospitals.
At 6:32 p.m. Saturday, Sandra K. Shah of Zillah was stopped in her Toyota RAV4 when a Ford Explorer, driven by Maritza Andujo of Kennewick, tried to change lanes as she approached the slowdown.
The Ford collided with the Toyota on the highway, just west of the Benton City exit.
Andujo, 25, was taken to Trios Southridge Hospital in Kennewick, along with a 5-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl who were in her SUV. Shah, 48, and her 40-year-old passenger went to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland.
The two drivers and their passengers all were wearing seat belts in the crash, according to Washington State Patrol. Andujo was cited for second-degree negligent driving.
This story was originally published May 8, 2021 at 8:36 PM.