30 mini storage units damaged in Pasco fire that burned for hours
Pasco firefighters are investigating reports that a propane space heater may have ignited the blaze that ravaged a mini storage business Thursday night.
Investigators believe the fire that broke out as Security Mini Storage on 124 S. 28th Ave. shortly before 4:30 p.m. was accidental, according to Pasco firefighters.
The business said no one was living in any of the units but some of the renters turn on heaters inside, said Ben Shearer, the public information officer for the Pasco Fire Department. The units had no fire sprinkler system.
When the firefighters arrived, they found the fire was raging in five units.
Firefighters worked into the night battling the blaze. About 30 of the 50 units in the building were damaged by fire and smoke, Shearer said.
They likely won’t have an estimate on the total damage until the renters can come and check out their storage units.
About 50 firefighters from across the area battled the blaze.
They got help from Kennewick and Richland fire departments, as well as Benton County Fire District 1, Franklin County Fire District 3 and Walla Walla County Fire District 5.
They brought in an excavator to help clear out items to make sure the fire was out and stayed at the scene until 1 a.m.
“Pulling fire hose through the snow and slush and making access to multiple storage units is a labor-intensive task,” Shearer said. “The cold weather also makes this kind of work more difficult.”
Ben Franklin Transit also sent a bus to help keep firefighters warm as the took breaks while fighting the fire.
The business is working to contact renters about their storage units if they have been involved in the fire.
This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 10:51 AM.