Thanks to alert action by a child, a family of four was able to safely escape a house fire early this morning, Tuesday, January 14th in the 900 block of South 8th Street.
At 4:10 am today, Tuesday, Yakima Fire Department (YFD) crews were called to the home, where a family with two children had already escaped after one of the children woke up and alerted everyone to the fire.
There did not appear to be working smoke alarms in the house, said YFD Shift Commander Jennifer Norton. “We were lucky that one of the children happened to wake up and alert the family,” said Norton. “Working smoke alarms save lives. Please check yours today.”
Firefighters encountered blue flames across the ceiling, which is consistent with a gas-fed fire. The gas was shut off at the gas meter outside by the Safety Officer and the fire was extinguished. Firefighters remained on-scene for about two hours. The Yakima Training Center Fire Department assisted.
There was a large amount of heat damage throughout the house. The interior of the back half of the home was extensively damaged by the fire. The initial estimated dollar loss is $75,000.
The family of four is staying with relatives and is being assisted by the Red Cross.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, though it appears to be accidental.
Call 575-6060 or visit https://yakimafire.com/ for more about the Yakima Fire Department.