Neighbors heard an explosion, then flames destroyed a Benton City house

Investigators are looking into a suspicious fire that destroyed a house and shed near Benton City.

Neighbors of the 10-acre lot on Schumacher Private Road heard an explosion at 9 p.m. Wednesday and saw the flames, said Capt. Bob Shannon with Benton County Fire District 4.

When firefighters arrived, they discovered the vacant house engulfed in flames. The fire then spread to a patio and shed, Shannon said.

The blaze could be seen for miles west of Richland in the Lower Yakima Valley, according to Facebook posts.

Firefighters needed to bring water from about a mile away to the isolated house. They worked for two hours to get the flames under control.

The charred remains of the house then collapsed into the basement, and firefighters spent several more hours making sure the fire was out, he said.

Shannon said crews did a good job of keeping the fire contained, noting much of the property is covered with sagebrush and dry grasses.

Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the explosion and consider the fire suspicious.

In all, about 30 firefighters helped with the effort, including crews from Benton County Fire District 1, 2 and 4, as well as Franklin County Fire District 3 and the Richland Fire Department.

The Benton County Sheriff’s Office also was on the scene.