9 Vehicles, 1 Home Burned in Richland on July 4

Almost simultaneously two fires erupted in Richland that resulted in damage to two cars, five recreational vehicles and a duplex.

One was along Steptoe near Meadow Springs Country Club and the other was near Goethals Park.

Both were likely started by fireworks.

The first blaze began in an empty field near an irrigation canal and spread into an RV and boat storage yard accessed from Mark Court. One RV was totally destroyed, another two were significantly damaged and three more were otherwise damaged.

The second blaze was on Benham Street near the intersection with Douglass. Police said fireworks started a fire that destroyed two vehicles under a carport and then moved into a duplex. The resident evacuated safely but the home was destroyed. The other side of the duplex was largely unharmed.