Elderly Woman, Dog Killed in String of Wenatchee Valley Fires

Wenatchee Valley Fire Department responded to three residential fires over the last week, claiming the lives of an elderly woman and a dog.

READ MORE: Early Morning Fire Destroys Wenatchee Warehouse

Fatal Fire on Crawford Avenue

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Chief Brian Brett said firefighters responded around 3:45 a.m. Wednesday morning to a mobile home on fire in the 500 block of Crawford Ave. in Wenatchee. Firefighters found her deceased in her bedroom.

"Preliminarily, it appears she had been smoking in bed with a nasal cannula oxygen on, and she reportedly had some ambulatory problems, which would have compromised her ability to escape," Chief Brett said. "It's a tragic loss of life."

Firefighters contained the blaze to the room.

Lithium Battery Ignites East Wenatchee Home

Just before noon on Saturday, Oct. 25, crews responded to the 1400 block of Eighth Street NE in East Wenatchee.

When crews arrived, they found the residence full of smoke and located the blaze coming from the kitchen. Firefighters found four cats and three dogs. Two of the cats and a dog were unconscious and removed from the home. Firefighters revived both cats but could not save the dog. The other two cats and two dogs survived without injuries.

Chief Brett said the occupant of the home attempted to charge a speaker with a lithium-ion battery before leaving the residence. The battery caught fire and ignited a coffee maker, which extended the blaze to the cabinetry.

Kitchen Fire Caused by Pet on Stove

Around 2:25 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26 fire crews responded to an accessible dwelling unit on fire in the second floor of a shop disconnected from the main residence caught fire in the 10 block of 31st St NE.

The residents were near the structure when it caught fire, opened the door, and three dogs escaped.

Just like Saturday's fire, the fire started in the kitchen. Chief Brett said one of the dogs put a paw on the stove, turned the burner on high, which started the kettle. The kettle extended to a nearby coffee maker, which extended the flames to the cabinets.
The official cause of each fire is still under investigation.

Fire Chief Warns: Be Ready for Heating Season

Chief Brett said it is not unusual to respond to multiple fires in a short span of time, but usually around this time, fires start because residents fire up dirty furnaces with bad filters and overload electrical appliances for heat.