WA to pay some Tri-Cities residents forced out of homes by months-long warehouse fire

Finley residents who live close to Lineage’s huge Kennewick cold storage warehouse that burned for nearly two months this spring may be reimbursed for their costs of moving their family or animals away from the smoke.

The Benton Franklin Health District on Wednesday announced the grant program and a survey to help it assess health impacts from the fire.

The Washington state Department of Commerce has provided a grant of up to $300,000 to reimburse expenses of households that temporarily relocated due to the health effects from smoke.

The fire started April 21 and destroyed a building that covered 12 acres, storing ready-to-ship potatoes, corn, carrots, peas and more.

Firefighters had trouble getting water to the center of the 525,000-square-foot building, and it was too unstable to send firefighters into its center.

Tri-Cities area fire officials said it may have been the largest structure fire ever in the Tri-Cities area and possibly one of the largest ever in the Northwest.

An air quality monitor installed at the Finley middle school showed air quality that was rated as unhealthy on some mornings in June. The air quality for people living closer to the warehouse was rated as hazardous on some days.

The money to reimburse expenses is available to people who live within a half mile to a mile of the Lineage warehouse.

Smoke-related illnesses

Finley residents at May 29 town hall described health problems they linked to the smoke , including a child who woke up in the night with nose bleeds and vomiting and a teen with pneumonia.

Other residents said they had migraines, bronchitis and frequent doctor visits as the smoke has exacerbated their asthma or other respiratory issues.

One woman said her animals were avoiding drinking from water troughs sitting in the smoke.

To learn more about reimbursement of expenses, call the health district at 509-460-4205. Documentation of costs, such as hotel receipts, is required.

Warehouse fire survey

The survey is being done in response to the May 29 town hall and will influence how the community’s health needs are addressed and supported, said the health district.

It was mailed in red, white and blue envelopes earlier this month to those within a one-mile radius of the burned warehouse.

It requests information on how the fire affected the health of everyone in the household, but does not request any information that would identify people, according to the health district.

Residents can complete the survey online in either Spanish or English, complete a physical copy of the survey and mail it back in a prepaid envelope or answer it over the phone.

The health district has extended the deadline to complete surveys until Sept. 6.