Heat lamp blamed for Washington fire
Officials now believe that a heat lamp may have been the cause of a fire which caused extensive damage to a home in Richland, Washington.
Firefighters said that the fire appeared to start in the backyard near a doghouse, and then spread from the yard to the main home. While no cost estimate was released, there was severe smoke damage throughout the home, along with fire damage to much of the property, which was valued at just under $76,000.
Some dogs were rescued from the fire. After the blaze had been extinguished, the home's tenant speculated that puppies may have knocked over the portable heating device.
"That seems to be what (investigators) are looking towards," Richland fire Captain Tom Huntington told the Tri-City Herald. He added that it was unknown if the owners of the property had homeowners insurance.
Space heaters are one of the leading causes of house fires, particularly during the colder months of the year. The National Fire Protection Association says that from 2003 through 2007, roughly half of all home fire property damages were caused by space heaters.
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