Kennewick woman lost her home twice. This time it was to a fire
Deana Dallas woke up to the sound of crackling and then a boom shook her Kennewick apartment.
“I jumped out of bed and smelled something funny,” she told Herald on Monday. “All I saw were flames on the balcony outside the sliding back door.”
Dallas, 51, was one of about 10 people living in the four-plex on the 4200 block of West Albany who lost their homes when a blaze broke out at 3:40 a.m. Sunday.
Firefighters are still trying to determine what sparked the devastating fire, Fire Chief Chad Michael said. Investigators say it started in the occupied four-plex and the gusting winds spread the flames to a vacant apartment building that was being renovated.
When Dallas made it to her living room, she realized the boom was her sliding glass door cracking in the heat. Flames and smoke were filling her second-level apartment as she and her son headed to the door.
They escaped with the clothes they were wearing and one of the their parrots. But they lost their second parrot, Charlie, that they’ve had for over 20 years.
Her son managed to grab the car keys before they escaped, so they got into their car and watched as the fire consumed the apartments where they’d lived for three years.
Kennewick firefighters were aided by the Richland and Pasco fire departments and Benton County Fire District 1 as they battled the blaze in 20-mph winds.
Firefighters had the fire under control within 30 minutes, but Dallas’ home was destroyed and the vacant building was severely damaged.
In shock
This isn’t the first time Dallas has lost her home. In 2013, she lived in a one-story rental on Smith Avenue in Richland when a storm sent a towering maple tree into her roof.
She had been in the bedroom, but got up moments before the tree crashed through the ceiling.
The fire this weekend left Dallas and her son with little more than the clothes they were wearing. She is living on disability payments and has no savings.
Now, they will stay with a family friend, but they are not sure what their next step will be.
“I’m feeling very lost,” she said. “I don’t know what to do. Right now, I’m trying to get my prescriptions taken care of.”
Dallas’ daughter, Summer Bean, set up a GoFundMe campaign to help with the costs. She said her mother is a strong woman who has taught her to persevere.
“Unfortunately this time around life knocked her down and took everything in the process,” Bean wrote. “So getting back up and rebuilding isn’t as easy to do alone.”
People can donate to the GoFundMe campaign at bit.ly/DeanaDallasFund
This story was originally published March 15, 2022 at 5:00 AM.