Fireworks possibly to blame for July 4 fire that severely burned W. Richland man
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- Fire damaged 14 storage units and injured two people in Richland.
- Officials suspect fireworks but have not confirmed a definitive cause of fire.
- Fire crews from multiple agencies contained the blaze within 30 minutes.
Fourth of July fireworks were being launched in the area around Badger Mountain Storage before a devastating fire erupted, severely burning one man and injuring a second.
The Richland Fire Department confirmed fireworks were being set off near the mini storage complex off Reata Road but investigators are not ready to pin the fire’s cause on the pyrotechnics.
In all, 14 storage units were damaged, said a Tuesday news release.
Richland fire crews and other agencies were called to the fire at Badger Mountain Storage at 179 Reata Road about 11:45 p.m. on July 4.
When they arrived they found several buildings burning with flames shooting through the roof and two men outside who had been burned trying to put out the fire.
Before they arrived, Trevin Hansen had climbed onto the roof of one of his family’s storage unit buildings to put out what he believed was a small fire.
The roof collapsed, trapping him inside until the locks could be cut, according to family posts over the weekend.
Hansen suffered burns on 65% of his body and was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he’s expected to spend at least 100 days in recovery. His mother, Julie Hansen, has shared updates on his condition on a GoFundMe page created to help with expenses.
Information about the second person who was burned were not available. The release said that person was taken to a local hospital by a private vehicle.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured in this fire,” Fire Chief Tom Huntington said in Tuesday’s release. “We wish them strength and a full recovery in the days ahead.
Fire crews had the blaze under control after about 30 minutes, but because of the amount of smoldering items in the storage units, firefighters remained at the scene for several hours.
Crews with Benton County Fire District 1 and the Kennewick and Pasco fire departments helped on the fire.
The business said on its website that it has fenced off the area around the burned units and is waiting until it’s safe before letting customers come into the area.
“We understand the curiosity and frustration of wanting to know what survived the fire and how bad your specific unit was affected, we just ask that you understand this is for your safety,” the business posted.
Fire department officials said they are still compiling information on the number of other fire incidents and emergency calls they responded to that were connected to the July 4 activities.
Pasco and Kennewick said they responded to a record number of fireworks-related incidents on the holiday.
Richland allows personal fireworks to be sold and fired off over the July 4 holiday but it bans certain types, such as aerial rockets.
This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 11:53 AM.