Devastating 2-alarm blaze guts 2 Richland homes after flames spread from a backyard
A devastating two-alarm fire destroyed two Richland homes early Wednesday.
Firefighters were called to 2309 Boulder Street just after 12:15 a.m. after a man reported a fire in his backyard, Richland Fire Chief Tom Huntington told the Herald.
The caller told dispatchers that the fire started with a fallen power line, but Huntington said they are still trying to determine whether the power line fell because of the fire or before.
Richland firefighters arrived minutes later and discovered two houses on fire at 2309 and 2307 Boulder.
Families in both of the homes had managed to get out safely
Richland firefighters were joined by Kennewick and Pasco fire departments, as well as Benton County fire districts 2 and 4 and West Benton Fire Rescue. It took about two hours to get the fires under control.
Firefighters were on the scene throughout the night to keep an eye on the fire rekindling.
Fire investigators were there Wednesday morning trying to determine what caused the fire.
The three-bedroom home at 2309 Boulder was valued at $198,000, according to the Benton County Assessor’s Office. And the three-bedroom home next door was valued at $157,000.
Both homes, which are near the Highway 240 bypass, date back to the 1960s.
Pasco house fire
Wednesday’s fire was the second two-alarm home fire in the Tri-Cities this week.
Sunday morning a grandmother and her 14-year-old granddaughter escaped unharmed from a house fire on 43rd Way in Pasco. They managed to get out with just their pajamas and pets.
The fire also appears to have started outside and spread inside.
A GoFundMe fundraiser for the family has raised nearly $3,000 to help the two.
