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Officials: Kids playing with lighter and aerosol started Wash. apartment fire

The fire caused $150K in damages and displaced four families from their homes

By Mark Morey
Yakima Herald-Republic

YAKIMA, Wash. — Yakima fire officials believe children playing with an aerosol can and lighter triggered a Saturday afternoon apartment fire.

According to a Yakima Fire news release, it is estimated that about $150,000 in fire damage was caused by the incident, turning the apartment unit into a complete loss and causing extensive damage to an adjacent house.

Emergency responders were dispatched to a structure fire just before 4:30 p.m. in the 600 block of N. Second St. The first responders to arrive reported a three-unit apartment building on fire and spreading to a residence next door. Several people were evacuated from the scene.

However, responders were limited at first as some were on scene at a fatal collision on U.S. Highway 12 reported just before the fire, according to the news release.

It took two hours to contain the fire, the report says. It required a a third alarm response from other Upper Valley fire departments; East Valley, Gleed, Highland, Naches, Selah, and West Valley fire departments responded, as well as Yakima Police and the Yakima Training Center. Sixty-six emergency responders were sent to the scene. The incident was made worse by high temperatures and fire penetrating into hidden spaces.

One juvenile was burned, treated at a local hospital and later released, the release says. Four families have been displaced as a result of the incident and receiving Red Cross assistance.

Copyright 2016 Yakima Herald-Republic

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