Yakima Fire Department (YFD) crews were called to the 900 block of North 9th Street early this morning, Sunday, February 14th, for a structure fire. (It is the practice of the Yakima Fire Department to not release the specific address of a private home involved in a fire or other emergency response)
YFD was called to the scene at 2:41 am today. The occupants noticed the fire and were out of the building before firefighters arrived. There were no injuries reported, though an adult male was evaluated for smoke inhalation at the scene and released.
First-arriving crews found smoke coming from the basement. Fire was found in a mattress and it extended into the floor of the first floor. The fire in the mattress had burned through a water pipe, which suppressed the fire enough for YFD crews to enter the basement and extinguish it.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire before it could extend into the rest of the structure. Crews were on scene for approximately one hour. The Yakima Training Center Fire Department assisted at the scene.
The occupants were able to return to the first floor of the structure.
The basement sustained severe water damage from the burst pipe. Fire damage was contained to the basement. The estimated dollar loss is $30,000.
The probable cause was a space heater located too close to combustible materials.
YFD reminds the community to please keep combustible items such as drapes and clothing at least three feet away from space heaters. Never plug a space heater into an extension cord.
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