Intense fire destroys Richland home, sending family scrambling into the dark

An intense house fire sent a Richland family scrambling into the dark as it destroyed their home Tuesday evening.

Passersby spotted the flames at 1518 Perkins Road about 4:15 p.m. and called 911.

Investigators are still trying to determine where and how it started, but firefighters arrived to find a large fire behind the house and more flames inside, said Richland Battalion Chief James Hempstead.

The two people at the house at the time managed to get out before firefighters arrived.

Fire crews doused the majority of the flames within about 10 minutes with the help of Benton County Fire District 4, Hempstead said. Then they spent another 45 minutes making sure the fire hadn’t spread.

The blaze also knocked down a power line. The combined damage of the water, smoke and fire damage left the home uninhabitable.

While there were initial reports of animals stuck inside the house, Hempstead said firefighters didn’t find any sign of any pets dying.