Fire leaves Moses Lake family in hotel

Looking for a place to live

MOSES LAKE - A Moses Lake family is without a home due to a fire destroying their South Kennedy Place residence and several of their belongings inside.

Kristi Howell remembers the Jan. 19 fire well and says sometimes she still feels like she is in shock.

She recalls the night being very foggy. Howell said as she was driving home, she didn't see the flames coming from the roof of her rental home until she was nearly in front of it.

Howell said once she saw the flames, she immediately dialed 9-1-1 from her cellphone and ran from her vehicle. Her children were still inside the residence.

Just as she approached the front steps of her home, her children burst through the door, Howell said.

Everyone was safe and there were no injuries.

The fire was reportedly started by some of the boys and a friend lighting a paper plate on fire with a lighter, the Moses Lake Fire Department reported. The boys allegedly put the fire out but somehow the fire re-ignited.

Now she wonders where she and her family will live.

She and her four boys ranging in ages from 3 years old to 15 years old and her husband William are living at the Moses Lake Ramada Inn.

Howell works at the hotel and her employer is allowing her to stay there until she finds a place to rent.

She said so far, she hasn't had any luck finding a place to live. Howell said the rental market is tough right now.

The South Kennedy Place residence will most likely be demolished, she added.

A cleanup crew was clearing the charred remains of the home Thursday afternoon when Howell was at the residence salvaging what was left of her family's past.

She said most of the family's personal belongings such as baby pictures and keepsakes were located in the garage where the fire started and were destroyed.

Howell walked into the family room and cried. She says it's hard for her to look at the room without crying. Inside are melted photos of her children and burned furniture. It was the second room ruined by the fire.

While walking through her kitchen, Howell reached up and pulled down a piece of construction paper held to the refrigerator with a magnate.

"I'm keeping this one," she said.

The paper has two small handprints made with bright pink paint by one of her children. It's one of few things related to her children's childhood Howell still has that wasn't destroyed.

She said she is thankful the community has pulled together and approached her so quickly to help because she didn't know where to begin.

While at her home Thursday afternoon, Howell was approached by the Grace Lutheran Church with a donation. The church supplied her children with daycare, she said. Howell said she was immediately helped by the Wenatchee Apple Valley Red Cross Chapter who were on scene the night the fire happened.

Red Cross Volunteer Cheryl Rondestzedt said the family was provided with food vouchers and clothing.

Howell said the Red Cross has offered to help with the first month's rent or the deposit once she finds a home to rent.

She is looking for a three-bedroom home in Moses Lake. Howell was paying $850 per month and hopes to continue paying about the same amount to maintain her budget.

Realtors who can help Howell can contact her by calling 509-793-4318.

In the meantime, she plans to put her sons through fire safety classes.