House fire leaves elderly Richland man homeless

It’s been a tough few months for Pete Erickson.

After being hospitalized over the summer and dealing with the recent death of a close friend, the 85-year-old watched a fire destroy the Richland home where he has lived for decades.

Erickson, who battles health problems and moves slowly, managed to escape the flames without getting seriously hurt.

He was released from a hospital after being checked for smoke inhalation, but his family and friends say the fire damaged everything Erickson owned.

And one of his best friends, a Terrier mix named Dre, is missing and presumed dead. His other dog, a Poodle named Tia, got outside but with burned paws.

“He lost every single thing. What medicine he had, everything,” said his sister Connie Day, 88, of Richland. “It’s terrible.”

Flames started filling the inside of the home on Dover Street about noon Monday. It took firefighters about 10 minutes to get the blaze under control, but the fire already had spread into the attic. It’s still not clear how it started.

Next-door neighbor Dona Gilmour told the Herald her husband was home at the time. He tried to use a garden hose on the fire, but the flames spread so fast there was nothing he could do.

“It just erupted so quickly,” she said. “It’s a very old home.”

The Tri-Cities Chapter of the American Red Cross has helped put Erickson up in a hotel for a few days. But he will need to be out of the hotel by Saturday morning and has nowhere to go.

Erickson, a retired mechanic, has limited income and didn’t have homeowner’s insurance, his sister said. The longtime Benton County resident has lived on his own for years.

Erickson was getting help from a neighbor and close friend who would stop by to help him, his family said. He was hit hard by the recent death of his friend.

“They were very good friends,” Day said. “She saw that he got his groceries, got to the doctor, and helped around the house. I’m surprised he’s not just completely out of it.”

Day lives close to her younger brother, but she cares for a disabled son and has no more room in her home, she said. The family is working hard to find Erickson and his dog somewhere to live, but Day isn’t confident they can do it by this weekend.

The family has contacted some local agencies for help with the process.

The Gilmours and Day hope people in the community can help Erickson with some clothes, toiletries, furniture or even a place to live.

Erickson doesn’t leave the house too often, but he likes to take the bus to Denny’s in Richland to get pancakes. Family suggested a warm coat for his outings or gift certificates to help with food.

“He can’t come back (to the neighborhood). He has no money. He’s on limited income. He had no insurance,” Gilmour said. “To be able to keep him with his dog and find some place to put a roof over their head would really be helpful.”

Day said any support from the community would help her brother.

“He’s had too many blows,” she said.

For more information on how to donate, contact Day at 509-946-7193.

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 6:45 PM with the headline "House fire leaves elderly Richland man homeless."