WSU students displaced by early morning fire

PULLMAN — Six Washington State University students are looking for somewhere else to live after a fire broke out in the kitchen of their rental home early Thursday morning. Pullman firefighters were called to 425 Campus St. just before midnight. They found flames in the back of the house, coming from the kitchen. Fire prevention officer Rich Dragoo said he believes the fire was caused by mechanical damage in the electrical cord that ran between the outlet and the kitchen stove. The residents had left the house around 10:30 p.m. and when one returned shortly before midnight, he saw the fire and called 911, a news release from the Pullman Fire Department said. He told firefighters he took a garden hose and doused some of the flames then entered the building to see if any of his roommates were in the house. No one was injured. There was minor water damage in the kitchen area and smoke damage throughout the first floor and part of the second floor. Dragoo estimated the damage at close to $20,000. The residents were making arrangements to stay with friends and were contacting their rental manager.