In the wake of a fire yesterday, Sunday, that displaced a family and caused an estimated $30,000 in damages, the Yakima Fire Department (YFD) is reminding residents about the following electrical safety tips:
- Never plug a space heater into an extension cord because space heaters are designed to be energized by wall mounted receptacles.
- Always have your electrical wiring meet the National Electrical Code Standards and have it inspected by a Certified Washington State Electrical Inspectors before you energize the wiring.
- If your electrical panel is “tripping” breakers, do not reset the breaker until a licensed electrician has inspected the problem.
- Always have working smoke alarms in your home, which you should test once a month. They should be no more than 10 years old. YFD offers a smoke alarm program to install smoke alarms free of charge in the homes of residents who cannot physically or financially do so for themselves. Click https://yakimafire.com/smoke-detector-request/ for more information.
At 3:20 am on Sunday, November 24th, YFD firefighters responded to a structure fire in the 100 block of North 28th Avenue.
The occupants of the home were able to evacuate safely. There were no injuries. The Red Cross assisted the displaced family with shelter and food.
Fire Investigators determined the fire was caused by faulty electrical wiring that supplied power to a portable space heater.
The Yakima Police Department assisted at the scene.
Call 575-6060 or visit https://yakimafire.com/ for more about the Yakima Fire Department.