Richland, Washington - Three Fires Set Inside Walmart
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Richland, Washington – Three Fires Set Inside Walmart

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Posted on June 10, 2019

Richland, Washington (June 6, 2019) – A Walmart store was the site of three small fires on Thursday night. Fortunately, the fires were quickly extinguished and no one was injured. The fire was a deliberate act of an arsonist.

The first call to fire crews came in around 11 p.m. when a fire was reported in the gardening section of the store. When firefighters arrived a second fire had been set in the houseware section, with a third fire also set inside the center of the building. The store was evacuated while crews worked to remove the smoke from the building. No fire damage was mentioned, but there was potential smoke damage to the merchandise. Multiple agencies are investigating the arson.

About Fire

While this particular fire is caused by arson, it would be wise to review one’s own fire safety inside the home. The US Fire Administration has recorded 15 home fire fatalities this year within Washington.  Statistics from the NFPA have recorded that cooking equipment were the leading cause of home structure fires, home fire injuries, as well as being the second leading case of home fire deaths. Additionally, smoking materials are the leading case of home fire deaths, though it isn’t always the case every year. Always handle fire with wariness and see to it that fires are always extinguished after use. Remember also to assess the area where fire is going to be used and see to it that complete fire safety is practiced at all times.

Aside from cooking equipment and smoking materials, electrical causes remain to be one of the top causes for home fires according to the NFPA. Their Electrical Fire Reports to the U.S Fire Department since 2000 estimates around 45,000 to 55,000 cases of home fires being caused by electrical malfunction every year. Annual losses due to electrical fire result in 455 civilian deaths, 1, 500 civilian injuries and 1.5 billion of dollars in direct property damage. From these statistics, the risk from electrical fire is very real and should not be underestimated. As for the accidents themselves, the NFPA lists 63 percent involved wiring and related equipment, 74 percent cited some sort of electrical failure or malfunction, and wire or cable insulation was the first item ignited in 32 percent of electrical distribution or lighting equipment home structure fires. In light of this case, firefighters are stressing the importance of closed doors, which can help prevent the spread of fire. From these cases, one must always review and identify potential fire hazards and fix them to avoid damages, injuries or deaths.

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