Man critically hurt when raging downtown Kennewick fire burns apartments, shops

One person was taken to the hospital in critical condition early Friday after he fled a two-alarm morning fire that gutted the top floor of a downtown Kennewick building.

Ten people living in some second-story apartments were displaced and businesses on the first floor heavily damaged.

After a couple hours, firefighters continued monitoring the inside of the building and working with business owners as they try to assess the damage to the historic building across the street from the Sports Page Bar & Grill at Kennewick Avenue and Cascade Street.

The fire appeared to have started on the second floor shortly after 5:30 a.m., Kennewick Deputy Chief Michael Heffner told the Herald.

Fire investigators already had started to search for the exact location where it started and the cause.

Smoke alarms alerted people to the blaze. Heffner said it was a good example of why it’s important to make sure people check the alarms frequently.

Fire officials at the scene told the Tri-City Herald that a man was seen coming out of the building right after firefighters arrived. He was being treated for smoke inhalation and burns.

Other apartment residents were being escorted to a place to warm up and to wait.

Firefighters from other departments around the area were called in to help.

Almost three dozen units from throughout the Tri-Cities worked to keep flames from spreading to nearby buildings, including the popular downtown restaurant Foodies to the west.

Kennewick Avenue and Cascade Street in downtown Kennewick were closed as firefighters battled the blaze.

The combination of chilly morning temperatures and mist made the roads around the fire slick with ice. Kennewick public works crews were trying to keep the icy spots to a minimum.

The American Red Cross was downtown helping people who lost their apartments.

Kennewick firefighters were still trying to determine the extent of the damage to the businesses on the first floor. There is smoke and water damage.

The building dates back to the early 1900s, and has been home to doctor offices and a grocery story in the past.

Now it houses The Lady Bug Shoppe, Essence Photography, an insurance agent, a cleaning business, a massage therapist and others.

There were six apartments in the building with 10 people living there, said Stephanie Button, the executive director of the Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership.

“Everyone is really heartbroken,” she said. “Part of the work ahead is going to be helping these businesses recover. We want to help them get back on their feet.”

She hopes they can find space in downtown Kennewick to help keep them operating.

And the apartment residents will need help, as well. They were displaced into a tight rental market in the city.

Button is optimistic about the building’s future. The current firefighting efforts have left the outside walls of the building intact as firefighters battled the blaze from ladder trucks.

Cindy and Terry Cleary with The Lady Bug Shoppe said that the fire was a big loss and, if they reopen, it will be in a different location.

They thanked the Kennewick and Pasco fire departments for their work in helping the people who escaped the fire.

“Keep these people in your hearts & prayers,” they wrote on the store’s Facebook page. “While many of us have lost our businesses, they have lost their homes.”

A fundraiser was posted on Facebook for Renee Alexis Niezgoda who fled the apartment with her child.

Just Joel’s also posted on Facebook to offer his sympathy and to ask if anyone needed help.

This story was originally published February 4, 2022 at 7:59 AM.