Electrical Issue Blamed for Franklin County Fire

   Franklin County Fire District 3 officials say electrical issues are likely the cause of an early morning fire that destroyed this home on Haugen Road.

  Fire officials say the smoke alarm did not go off until the family was evacuating

The mobile home, located about 8 miles northeast of Pasco, off Highway 395, was totally destroyed by the fast-moving flames. According to FCFD 3, they were dispatched around 3 AM Monday morning.

Fire officials say icy conditions and the weather hindered some of the firefighting efforts, but luckily all the inhabitants escaped without injury.

FCFD 3 said via a Facebook post that one of the occupants said they were awakened by smoke, and discovered the fire in one portion of the home. The one smoke detector did not fire off, said officials until the family was well into their evacuation and much of the home was on fire.

Officials say it's a good idea to check the age of your smoke detector, besides the batteries. Smoke detectors older than 8-10 years lose their effectiveness to detect smoke because their sensors wear out. Even with new batteries, older units often malfunction.

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No monetary figure was given, but FDFC 3 says the home was a total loss.