Wapato, Washington – Fire on Knight Lane Destroys House, Spreads to Garbage Pile and Grass

Wapato, Washington (July 8, 2019) – A fire destroyed a home on the 111 block of Knights lane on Monday night, also causing grass fires and a garbage pile in the area to burn. Fortunately, the residents of the house were not at home when the fire broke out and there have been no reported injuries. According to fire crews, there was an estimated loss of $30,00 dollars, as well as partial structure and content loss.

Firefighters were called onto the scene around 8:45 p.m. By the time of their arrival, the fire had already spread over half of the house and the roof was caving in. However, firefighters were able to stop the blaze before it reached the three bedrooms on the west side of the structure.The Red Cross is assisting the family with temporary shelter. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but a news release from the fire department has noted that the home had several electrical issues.

About Fire

The dangers of fire cannot be underestimated – the US Fire Administration has recorded 15 home fire fatalities this year within Washington.  Statistics from the NFPA have recorded that cooking equipment were the leading cause of home structure fires, home fire injuries, as well as being the second leading case of home fire deaths. Additionally, smoking materials are the leading case of home fire deaths, though it isn’t always the case every year. Always handle fire with wariness and see to it that fires are always extinguished after use. Remember also to assess the area where fire is going to be used and see to it that complete fire safety is practiced at all times.

Aside from cooking equipment and smoking materials, electrical causes remain to be one of the top causes for home fires according to the NFPA. Their Electrical Fire Reports to the U.S Fire Department since 2000 estimates around 45,000 to 55,000 cases of home fires being caused by electrical malfunction every year. Annual losses due to electrical fire result in 455 civilian deaths, 1, 500 civilian injuries and 1.5 billion of dollars in direct property damage. From these statistics, the risk from electrical fire is very real and should not be underestimated. As for the accidents themselves, the NFPA lists 63 percent involved wiring and related equipment, 74 percent cited some sort of electrical failure or malfunction, and wire or cable insulation was the first item ignited in 32 percent of electrical distribution or lighting equipment home structure fires. From these cases, one must always review and identify potential fire hazards and fix them to avoid damages, injuries or deaths.

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