Dec. 06--YAKIMA, Wash. -- Investigators this morning said the cause of a fire that destroyed a home in the 1400 block of South 11th Avenue Monday afternoon was accidental, but its origins is still being investigated.
A resident of the home suffered smoke inhalation, but was treated at a local hospital and released, said Battalion Chief Tom Sevigny.
Because the resident is deaf and doesn't speak English, understanding details about the fire has been tough, he said.
Although someone skilled in American sign language was on hand at the fire, there was still a language barrier, he said.
Investigators will comb through the charred structure today in hopes of pinpointing the cause, he said.
Firefighters received a call about someone inside a burning house just before 3 p.m., and quickly extinguished the blaze, but no one was found inside.
Later, firefighters learned that a man living in the home had escaped to a neighbor's home. It turned out a dog, rather than a person, was still at the house at the time of the fire. But the dog escaped as well, according to a Yakima Fire Department news release.
The man who lived at the house said he was sleeping in the living room when he awoke to smoke coming from a bedroom, the release said.
He tried to extinguish the blaze, but realized that it was too much and went to neighbor's house and called 9-1-1, the release said.
Fire officials ruled the fire accidental. The house was destroyed, and damage is estimated at $70,000, the release said.
-- Phil Ferolito
