Gig Harbor firefighters battle garage fire, saving chickens in the process

VIDEO: Firefighters in Gig Harbor battled a brush fire that spread to a garage and caused extensive property damage Saturday night, leading to a garage fire. At about 10 p.m., firefighters with Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One responded to reports of a fire in the 600 block of 37th Avenue NW. "I saw the glow and thought at first my neighbors were just working in the yard," said neighbor Crystal Bentley. "I quickly realized it was a fire, and it was spreading. It was scary, and I was concerned about my neighbor's house and I immediately called 911." On their way to the location, first responders told FOX 13 Seattle they received additional information about possible explosions and a shed on fire. "We heard two big booms," said neighbor Sharron Erickson. "The first one shook our house. We went out on our back portch and that’s when we saw the smoke and flames."
KCPQ-TV FOX 13 Seattle

Deadly Spokane house fire caused by electric malfunction, ruled an accident

VIDEO: The Spokane Fire Department has determined the cause of a deadly house fire that killed two parents and left two children on life support. According to SFD, an extension cord used in place of permanent wiring was the found to be the cause of the fire on N. Howard St. Firefighters says the fire started on the house's front porch and quickly spread upstairs where the family was located. SFD notes there were no functional fire alarms in the house. The two parents killed in the fire have been identified as 40-year-old Robert Desislets and 33-year-old Arielle Desislets. The Spokane Medical Examiner has ruled Arielle's cause of death as inhalation of products of combustion and thermal injuries. Her death was ruled an accident. Robert's cause and manner of death are pending.
KXLY-TV ABC 4 Spokane

Fire crews to remain on scene of Lineage warehouse fire in Benton County for days

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Fire crews have been on scene of the fire at the Lineage facility for over 24 hours. The 525,000 square-foot freezer facility, located on Bowles Road just off Highway 397, housed produce items including peas and carrots, before catching fire at around 5:15 Sunday morning. According to Jenna Kochenauer, a Public Information Officer with Benton County Fire District 1, in the early hours of the fire, crews responded to the scene and found a small amount of smoke coming from inside one of the building's freezer bays. Ten employees who were inside were all able to evacuate safely. Sprinklers from the building's fire suppression system were activated, but due to the cold temperatures, made it challenging for firefighters to locate the fire when the water turned into a mist, mimicking the appearance of smoke.
KEPR-TV CBS/CW+ 19 Pasco

State Resources Called to Massive Fire at Frozen Food Warehouse Near Kennewick

PHOTO: State fire assistance was mobilized on Sunday night in support of local firefighters working to contain a fire at a 525,000 square foot frozen food warehouse, operated by Lineage Logistics, near Kennewick. Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized the mobilization of state firefighting resources on April 21, 2024, at 5:45 p.m. at the request of Fire Chief Lonnie Click, Benton County Fire District 1. Officials say the fire is contained. Crews remained on scene overnight and Benton County Fire District #1 said they expect the fire to continue burning for days. The fire started at approximately 5:15 a.m. on Sunday and eventually spread to adjacent grass, brush, and trees. Homes and infrastructure were threatened and level 3 evacuations were in place for a short time Sunday evening. Employees reportedly made it out of the warehouse safely.
Big Country News Connection

Wenatchee Valley Fire Department Proposes Fire Benefit Charge on August Ballot

In a significant move aimed at transforming how emergency services are funded, the Board of Fire Commissioners has passed a resolution to include a fire benefit charge proposal on the August 6, 2024, primary election ballot. The Wenatchee Valley Fire Department is championing this initiative, asserting that it offers a fairer method of funding compared to the existing system. Under the current model, funding for emergency services is solely derived from a fire levy that is based on the assessed value of properties. This setup leads to a disparity where two identically-sized houses might incur vastly different fire levies simply due to their location within the fire district. “This means two houses of the same size can pay very different amounts depending on their location within the fire district, while the cost to put out a fire at both is the same,” explained a spokesperson for the fire department.
Source One News