Update| Video shows extent of damage to fire ravaged $900k Kennewick home
An almost million dollar Tri-Cities home was destroyed in a house fire on Thursday.
More than 20 fire fighters from Benton County Fire District No. 1 responded to the scene just after 1:30 p.m. on June 30 at East Grand Bluff Loop in the Rancho Reata area in Kennewick, according to a Facebook post. The fire was burning in the garage and had already spread to the rest of the house when firefighters arrived.
While there were no injuries and the fire did not spread to other properties, the $900,000 home was declared a total loss, according to the Facebook post.
Benton County Fire District No. 4, Richland Fire Department, and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office aided the Benton County Fire District No. 1 before clearing the scene around 6 p.m. and turning it over to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office for investigation.
Apartment fire
On Friday morning, Kennewick Fire Department was able to quell an apartment fire before it spread.
A call came in just after 8:30 a.m. at the Mandarin Apartments, at 3320 W. 9th Ave. reporting that a second story balcony was on fire.
Firefighters were able to put out the fire, before it spread inside.
Kennewick Fire Chief Chad Michael said there were no injuries.
Michael said the fire appears to have started outside on the balcony. He said that a quick response from the apartment’s maintenance workers helped ensure the fire did not spread out of control while the fire department was en route.
In a later press release, Michael said the fire was unintentional, but it was caused by someone putting cigarettes out in a flower planter.
Kennewick fire wants to remind people that potting soil is flammable, and to never use it as an ash tray.
Michael said that when clearing the building, firefighters also located a 10-year-old child next door who had been left home alone, and an open balcony door in another neighboring unit that could have allowed the fire to quickly spread into the apartment. That apartment did not have a working smoke detector.
The fire department wants to reiterate the importance of ensuring fire alarms are working.
This story was originally published July 1, 2022 at 9:44 AM.
