Dog House Heater Likely Caused Spark That Burned Home

An electric blanket in a dog house may have sparked the fire that damaged a Prosser couple’s home.

The Friday morning fire appeared to have started in a doghouse and spread up an outside wall of the home, Prosser Fire Chief Doug Merritt said. The fire then spread through the attic.

A waterbed heater wrapped in a vinyl cover and placed inside the doghouse appears to have started the blaze, Merritt said. No injuries were reported, but the home was extensively damaged.

Betty Donovan told Merritt that when she went to let their cocker spaniel, Copper, inside the house about 8:30 a.m., she noticed a strange odor and put the dog back outside.

The owners initially feared the dog might have been killed. But Merritt said Copper was unharmed and curled up near the back door of the house.