Number Of Fires Up In Yakima

Fire destroyed two homes here in Yakima since Friday. One yesterday in West Valley marked 33 since the beginning of the year.

The fire department says the number of fires in the city is up slightly from last year. They say more than 30 fires in three months is a large amount for a city this size.

Seattle has six times Yakima's population. But, only three times as many fires.

"We have older buildings, we have older wiring in those buildings, as far as houses," says Captain Brandon Dorenbush. "Many of our fires are attributed to electrical."

Yakima firefighters also say demographics, crime and the economy factor into the fire danger. Investigators are still looking into the suspicious fire Friday night on South 3rd Street.