A Midnight Fire, a Stairway of Flame, and Three Boys Out a Second-Story Window
Mrs. Minnie Andrews' home in Stanton's Addition burns to the ground while the fire department is too far from a hydrant to help.
With a stairway a mass of flames, three boys escaped through a second-story window.
The home of Mrs. Minnie A. Andrews in Stanton's Addition was totally destroyed by fire about midnight last Friday night. The fire department answered the alarm, but because of the long run and the great distance from a fire hydrant, no water was turned on the fire. In fact, the flames had gained such headway before discovery that the three sons of Mrs. Andrews, who were asleep upstairs, were forced to escape through a second-story window. The building and contents were completely destroyed.
It is thought the fire originated from a defective chimney or an overheated stove. It was a cold night, and before retiring the boys had built a heavy fire to prevent water pipes from freezing. Mrs. Andrews carried insurance on both building and furniture, and the loss has been adjusted through the office of Trenbath Tweedt.
“The fire department answered the alarm, but because of the long run and the great distance from a fire hydrant no water was turned on the fire.”
Kennewick's fire limits and hydrant coverage were still patchy in 1917, and the Andrews fire shows what that meant: a total loss before water could reach the flames. The same tension—growth outrunning basic services—shows up in modern debates over fire protection and insurance in fast-growing parts of the Tri-Cities.
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