Kennewick Fire Department Burnt Down the Old Ernie’s Car Place Today, On Purpose

Today is the day KFD finally got to do something they have not done in 25 years: live fire training in a real building.

If you drove past West Canal Drive this morning and saw a single-story building completely engulfed in flames with fire trucks surrounding it and giant orange signs that say "Fire Training", do not panic and please do not call 911. It would be easy to get confused without knowing, because the scene looks just like a real fire emergency.

Kennewick Fire Department was already there. They lit it on purpose for training.

credit Michael McDonnal

Live Fire Exercise Training in Kennewick Today

The old Ernie's Car Place at 902 West Canal Drive was donated to the City of Kennewick and is being used for a Burn and Learn event, a hands-on, live-fire training exercise that started at 9 AM and runs through noon. The building has been closed for some time, and rather than sit empty or be demolished conventionally, it is giving Kennewick firefighters something no training facility can fully replicate: a real fire in a real structure.

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The photos from the scene this morning show the single-story building completely engulfed, with heavy smoke and visible flames, exactly as WSDOT warned neighbors to expect. The big orange Fire Training signs are posted prominently so nobody mistakes this for an actual emergency.

credit Michael McDonnal

This Kind of Training Matters to Regional Firefighters

There is a fundamental difference between fighting a fire in a purpose-built training structure and fighting one in an actual building. Real buildings have actual layouts, real materials, real surprises. The way fire moves through an authentic structure teaches things that cannot be replicated in a controlled prop facility.

This is the first time in 25 years that KFD has had this opportunity, and showed up with firefighting tools, suppression techniques, access methods, and rescue training are all being tested today on a structure that is as real as it gets.

Surrounding residents and businesses on Canal Drive were notified in advance. Heavy smoke and visible flames are expected throughout the morning. Traffic impacts are in place around the area through around noon.

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