Fire Rips Through Another Benton City Home

By Rudabeh Shahbazi

Story

Summary

The most recent blaze started in the back room of a Demoss Road home.

Story Published: Dec 28, 2008 at 7:15 PM PST

BENTON CITY-- Emergency crews are searching for answers to the flurry of fires that ripped through two Benton City Homes this week.

The most recent blaze started in the back room of a Demoss Road home. The owner wasn't there at the time, but his two dogs died in the fire.

"Stuff like that happens and nobody knows," said Steve Garcia, a friend of the homeowner. "It just happens. It's just part of life, but I'm an animal lover, and it's sad."

Up the street, on Knox Road, and elderly couple lost everything a last week. Firefighters are still investigating the cause, but many speculate the cold snap could be to blame.

"Most causes in the water are going to be candles, electrical, potentially people that use more portable heaters," said Richland Fire Battalion Chief James Hempstead.

Electricity prices are high, and people are finding ways to generate heat in other ways, as they faced freezing conditions and the possibility of being snowed in.

Wood pellet sales doubled at the Pasco Ranch and Home in the days before Christmas.

"The elderly mostly, and people with small children, they're worried about trying to keep their homes warm," said manager Dustin Wendelin. "Better safe than sorry, so they're trying to stock up for the winter."

But sometimes plans to stay safe go awry.

"It's really devastating for the community, and it's hard for us to watch, especially when it's the elderly, or there's young kids involved," said Hempstead. "It just makes it that much more of an impact for them and us."

Now two households are struggling to make it through the holidays, a sad reminder of the season's danger.