Closed doors prevent spread of Kennewick house fire

KENNEWICK, Wash.-- A closed door is being credited with stopping a fire at a home in Kennewick over the weekend.

Crews with the Kennewick Fire Department responded to a home in the 5800 block of W. Yellowstone Avenue off of Steptoe Blvd. in Kennewick at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday, and found the house filled with thick smoke.

After searching the home, firefighters discovered a fire in a room that had died out after burning up all the oxygen in the room because the door had been closed.

Fire prevention experts say closed doors can also protect you from a fire while you're sleeping.

“Closing that door creates a survivable area within your bedroom,” said Cpt. Brian Ellis with the Kennewick Fire Department. “They’ve had fires raging in the hallway, and they walk through the door that was closed and it’s perfectly survivable behind there.”

Fire crews located five cats in the home, two that were treated with oxygen at the scene of the fire, a third was taken to a veterinarian by the owner.

Officials have not released a cause for Saturday's house fire.