Propane heater thawing frozen pipes likely started Grandview house fire

A fire that destroyed a Grandview home on Saturday afternoon likely was started by a propane heater placed under the house to thaw frozen pipes.

Twenty-five firefighters from four stations responded at 2:40 p.m. to the blaze at 1740 Apricot Road.

The first Yakima Fire District 5 unit on scene found the double-wide manufactured home with smoke and flames coming from the rear of the house, and smoke from a garage a few feet away, according to Capt. Joel Byam.

The fire quickly spread under the house and then inside, resulting in an estimated loss of $145,000 for both the home and detached garage, Byam said.

The heat from the propane heater believed to have caused nearby hay bales to ignite, Byam said in a news release.

Flames then spread to the insulation under the house.

It took crews an hour to get the blaze under control. They were assisted at the scene by West Benton Fire & Rescue of Prosser and the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office.

The Apricot Road residents reportedly are staying with friends.

This story was originally published January 3, 2016 at 3:59 PM with the headline "Propane heater thawing frozen pipes likely started Grandview house fire."