Yakima Man Taken Into Custody for Suspicious House Fire

A suspicious fire destroyed a Yakima home Sunday morning. Firefighters initially thought the residents were inside the home, but they did not find anyone. No one was injured.

Investigators do not know what caused the fire, however firefighters do say it is suspicious. The occupant is under investigation. It happened on the 1100 block of Garfield Avenue around 4:50 a.m. About 15 firefighters arrived to find the home consumed by smoke and flames.

Because firefighters believed someone was inside the home, Rescue Mode was declared by on scene Battalion Chief Tom Sevigny. "Rescue Mode" is a very aggressive mode of firefighting in which firefighters take huge risks in the event that there are victims within the structure. These efforts were complicated by large amounts of debris and obstacles inside the structure.  Downed power lines prevented firefighters from gaining access to various parts of the structure.

A bystander, who was later determined to be one of the occupants was acting erratically and taken into police custody. The second occupant, bound to a wheelchair was reportedly taken to an adult care facility.

Firefighters say the home suffered significant damage and is probably a total loss. Damage is estimated around $35,000.