Kitchen Fire Causes Significant Damage To East Wenatchee Duplex

One half of an East Wenatchee duplex has heavy damage, following a fire in its kitchen space on Monday (Sept. 14) morning.

Wenatchee Valley Fire Department Chief Jon Perry says crews responded to the blaze in the 500 block of Rolfs Place at around 9:15 a.m., and arrived at the scene to find heavy smoke emanating from the structure.

Perry says crews made entry into the affected unit and had the flames knocked down within about 20 minutes.

He added the fire originated in the home's kitchen area after flammable items that were placed on the top of its stove ignited.

Perry says the unit had recently been under renovation and its tenants were in the process of moving back in, when the items were placed on the stovetop and the power was turned back on after having been shut off during the renovations.

He says one of the knobs that control the stove's burners had apparently been turned into the 'on' position while the power was turned off.

The kitchen area sustained significant damage and rendered the unit uninhabitable, but Perry says crews were fortunate to have prevented the flames from entering the dwelling's attic space, which he says almost surely would have caused more extensive damage.

Perry says he doesn't know the exact number of people who were displaced by the fire, but that no one was inside the unit when the fire occurred and no injuries were reported.