Smoke, fire damage WW home
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, March 31st, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – Walla Walla firefighters responded to a report of a home filled with smoke with a fire early Tuesday morning. On their way to the scene, they learned that the residents were evacuating with their pets.
The single-level home on the 500 block of East Sumach was filled with smoke when the first responders arrived. Police who responded alerted the firefighters that residents advised they had tried to extinguish a burning dresser in one of the bedrooms. The crew quickly put that fire out and then began to ventilate the heavy smoke out of the building. In addition, firefighters performed a search of the residence to make sure no one else was inside.
During that search, the Walla Walla Fire Department crew found there were no working smoke detectors inside the residence. The property is owned by Alice Zillen and the main resident of the home is Nathan Schwappe. The American Red Cross is assisting the family.
WWFD ruled the blaze was accidental and electrical in nature. The estimated damage to the property and its contents is $6,000. The city of Walla Walla urges people to check their smoke detectors to make sure they are working properly.
