Donut Cooking ignites Pullman apartment

An unattended donut frying session was listed as the cause of a Feb. 21 night fire at the Cougar Crest Apartments in Pullman which caused an estimated $200,000 in damage, according to Pullman Fire Marshal Chris Wehrung. He said the fire displaced seven residents from five apartment units.

Pullman and Rural District 12 crews rolled to the apartment on NE Terre View Drive shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday. The only injury was to the apartment resident who cut his hand when he broke the glass to gain access to the fire extinguisher, according to a report from Pullman Mayor Glenn Johnson who serves as public relations reporter for the fire department.

Wehrung said he and other investigators spent most of Feb. 22 at the scene and determined that the stove in the kitchen was the point of origin. The resident told firefighters that he had been frying donuts and thought he had turned the stove off before taking a shower. The stove burners apparently ignited some paper towels on top of the stove that were covered in grease.

The resident emerged from the shower to find the kitchen filled with smoke and in flames. He said he went outside to get a fire extinguisher and tried to use the extinguisher through a window to no avail, then waited for firefighters to arrive. The fire marshal said investigators found a smoke detector with a battery but it did not work and failed to warn the occupant.

The fire totally damaged the apartment and damaged a neighboring upstairs apartment. Smoke and water damaged lower apartments, and electrical service to the building had to be shut off. Of the seven residents in the building, five were WSU students, and the university found housing for them. The other two residents were helped by the American Red Cross.

Two dogs and a cat were rescued from the building by police officers and firefighters.