What began as a fire alarm Friday afternoon, escalated to a situation that left two dozen residents displaced from their homes. The call came in to the Southeastern Communications Center (SECOMM) just before 3pm. Dispatchers quickly upgraded the call from an alarm call to a commercial structure fire.
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The situation at the Kent Manor Apartments on W 5th Avenue in Kennewick escalated to a commercial structure fire after the fire alarm monitoring service reported that automatic fire sprinkler system installed in the apartment complex was flowing water, hence an active fire.
KFD personnel hit the scene within 5 minutes as residents had already begun to evacuate their apartments. Kennewick Police had also responded to the scene and the two agencies quickly coordinated to determine the cause.
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A small kitchen fire in a fourth floor apartment unit was the culprit. The sprinkler system extinguished the fire but the water also caused damage other apartments below where the fire originated. Other apartments also suffered damage from fire, water, and smoke resulting in twenty four residents needing assistance as they could not return to their homes.
A disaster relief and recovery team from the Central and Southeastern Washington chapter of the American Red Cross assisted displaced residents with accommodations until their apartments are able to be lived in again. Fortunately, no one was injured.
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Cooking is the leading cause of house fires and home fire injuries according to the U.S. Fire Administration. When cooking, do not leave your stove unattended. keep the handles to your pans towards the back of the stove and keep a lid or cookie sheet nearby to smother the pan if flames begin to rise unexpectedly.