Possible electrical fire damages Canyon Lakes home

Neighbors stood, huddled together in a cul de sac in the Canyon Lakes subdivision as Kennewick fire fighters  walked up a flight of terra cotta stairs and through the open door of a two-story home. Light smoke drifted outside through the door, and the non-stop beeping sound of a smoke detector could be heard above the din of diesel engines from the fire trucks scattered about the cul de sac.

Kennewick Fire Battalion Chief Mikal Barnett says there were two people inside the home when it started to fill with smoke at about 11:00 PM Friday. The man and woman, and possibly a dog, all escaped safely. Crews got the fire knocked down fairly quickly, but continued working into the early hours of Saturday morning to make sure the fire hadn't spread through the walls.

Barnett said the fire started toward the back of the house.

"We've got the fire knocked down and contained and we're moving into overhaul which is investigation and essentially clean up. We're not sure exactly where it started, whether it was inside or it was outside," Barnett said. "We're still in the early stages, and we're investigating that at this time."

As more than a dozen fire fighters stand ready, armed with hooks and axes, the man and woman who were in the house when the fire started are sitting in patio chairs that a neighbor brought out for them, wearing borrowed sweatshirts, and watching the surreal scene in front of them. "I just want to get inside and see the damage," the woman told her neighbor.

Through the front picture window, fire fighters wearing full turnout gear and oxygen masks can be seen inspecting walls and ceiling, looking for any signs that the fire has spread. Earlier, crews had used a large hand-held power saw to remove the hinges of a metal gate on the side of the house to allow fire fighters easier access to the back of the house.

Another fire fighter climbs the hilly street toward the house, carrying an industrial fan under his arm. The crowd that had gathered on the sidewalk below the cul de sac starts to slowly disperse, leaving only the residents of the cul de sac surrounding the impacted home. They stand, watching as the activity winds down, some from their own driveways, others standing with the couple who's house was damaged, but not lost, in a Friday night electrical fire.

According to the United State Fire Administration, just 6.4% of residential fires are caused by an electrical malfunction.