Clothing and other material put too close to a baseboard heater caused a fire that damaged a Cornell Avenue duplex late Thursday night, a Yakima fire official said.
Firefighters were called out to the 1500 block of Cornell Avenue about 10 p.m. after a passerby spotted fire at the duplex and notified the occupants, Shift Commander Jennifer Norton said. The fire started in a unit where the occupant was in the process of moving out, and they were not home, Norton said, while the occupants of the other unit were able to get out safely.
Eighteen firefighters put the fire out within 15 minutes, and spent the next two hours mopping up hot spots and investigating the fire, Norton said. Firefighters contained the flames to the one unit, and used fans to remove smoke that got into the other dwelling, Norton said.