Blaze destroys a Kennewick RV. And an alert neighbor averts disaster in apartment fire
A late-night fire destroyed a motor home at a Kennewick RV park, leaving a man without a home.
The 30-foot motor home was parked at the Bonnie RV Park at 7322 W. Bonnie Ave. when the fire broke out just after 11 p.m., Kennewick Fire Chief Chad Michael said in a release.
When firefighters arrived, they found the fire was threatening two neighboring vehicles. They worked to keep the flames from spreading, and had it out within 17 minutes, Michael said.
However, the motor home was destroyed.
The man living there wasn’t home at the time. The American Red Cross was called to help him find a temporary place to live.
The cause of the fire hasn’t been determine.
Michael issued a reminder that people living in RVs should make sure they have smoke alarms and fire extinguishers on hand, particularly because those vehicles can be quickly consumed by a fire.
Heatherstone Fire
Earlier on Thursday firefighters were called to the Heatherstone Apartments after a neighbor called 911 at 7:40 a.m. to report smelling something burning. The caller is credited with averting a bigger fire in the complex.
Firefighters found smoke coming from a ground-floor apartment at 1114 W. 10th Ave. They found the fire had started on a countertop in the kitchen but it had used up all of the oxygen in the apartment and wasn’t spreading.
Michael said the fire would have flared to life if someone had opened a door or window, allowing in outside air. No one was in the apartment at the time.
They were able to put out the fire without it reigniting, leaving just some minor damage to the countertop.
The cause is under investigation.
Michael praised the neighbor for making the call. The apartment complex doesn’t have a monitored fire alarm or a sprinkler system, so the call played a significant role in preventing the fire from spreading, he said.
“The Kennewick Fire Department would like to encourage everyone to call 911 if they notice something such as a burning odor in a building that needs to be investigated,” said the release.