Fire Consumes Garden Tracts Home
A local family lost all their possessions in a sudden Sunday night blaze that threatened neighboring homes.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The residence owned by Mrs. A. W. Tompkin and situated in the Garden Tracts was completely destroyed by fire which broke out shortly after nine o'clock last Sunday evening. The house was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Morrison, and so rapid was the work of the flames that the tenants lost every article they possessed, with the exception of the clothing they wore. How the fire started is not known. Mr. Morrison stated that there had been a fire in the kitchen range earlier in the evening, but that it had been allowed to die out an hour before. A brisk wind was blowing and by the time the fire department got a line of hose connected, all that could be done was to save the adjoining residences which were seriously threatened for a time. The house was valued at $1,600 and was insured for $1,000. Mr. Morrison carried no insurance at all on the contents which he valued at $1,500.
“So rapid was the work of the flames that the tenants lost every article they possessed, with the exception of the clothing they wore.”
This event highlights the vulnerability of early suburban developments, like the Garden Tracts, which often lacked robust fire infrastructure. Today, Kennewick's continued expansion into dry, wind-prone landscapes reminds us that historical fire risks remain a pressing civic concern.
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