PULLMAN, Wash. — Investigators determined the cause of a fire that destroyed two Pullman homes and caused a half-acre wildfire, according to a press release from the Pullman Fire Department.
Pullman Fire Inspector Tony Nuttman said the fire was started accidentally by embers from a joint smoked by two visitors from Colorado, a press release said. He said the Washington State University students who were on the lease at 825 NE Maple Street were not home at the times of the fire.
Nuttman said the two visitors told him they used the joint when they were standing near a couch on the deck. Fire investigators were able to determine that the fire started on the couch then strong winds ignited the embers in the couch. The embers then spread rapidly to the wooden deck and the three-story house, the press release says. The students said when they returned and saw the fire, they woke up their visitors and attempted to put out the fire with an extinguisher.
According to the press release, Nuttman spoke with the National Weather Service who said winds at the time of the fire were 23 mph with gusts up to 32 mph.
The converted Maple Street home, which housed six students, was destroyed. WSU student housing office and the American Red Cross were aiding the residents, Pullman Fire Investigator Tony Nuttman said.
The Howard Street home, which belonged to the Kappa Delta sorority, was also destroyed. None of the students had renters' insurance.
One firefighter was injured while fighting a fire on the hillside, but no other injuries were reported, according to the Pullman fire Department.'
Firefighters said they were grateful for the help from the neighbors in the area who were seen with their garden hoses watering down their homes and yards to stop any further spread of this fire.
There is a GoFundMe to help the students displaced.