Possible Break-In Leads to Downtown Kennewick Fire

Kennewick Fire investigators say the building in question was clearly broken into and was apparently being used as a residence.

Fire crews dispatched Sunday evening.

Kennewick Fire Chief Chad Michael says around 6:40 PM Sunday evening crews were sent to a location near 411 Railroad Ave. in downtown Kennewick. The location is north of Canal, and east of Fruitland, in the industrial area.

The 911 caller reported a structure fire, and as crews approached, they could see a growing plume of smoke. It was then upgraded to a likely residential fire.

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Crews located the fire, it was a portable classroom sitting on concrete blocks along with several others in a vacant lot, the buildings belong to the Kennewick School District. The fire was within 50 feet of a nearby commercial structure. Despite some initial difficulty in finding a hydrant to plug into, crews were able to extinguish the blaze.

According to information released by Michael and the KFD:

" Fortunately, no occupants were located inside of the structure. However, it was apparent that someone had forced entry into the portable and has likely been using the portable as a residence. While it is believed that the fire was likely human caused, the exact cause of the fire continues to be under investigation."