Moses Lake fire displaces families

Duplex fire ruled accidental

MOSES LAKE - An accidental fire on Monday destroyed a duplex on Travis Drive near Moses Lake and displaced two families.

The fire started in the kitchen after an electric stove's element reportedly exploded, said Bruce Gribble of the Grant County Fire Marshal's Office.

One of the displaced families, Viktor and Galina Teleguz, have six children and the youngest child is a 2-month-old infant, according to Red Cross volunteer Cheryl Rondestvedt.

The other children are a 7-year-old girl and four boys, ages 5, 10, 12 and 13.

"They lost everything," Rondestvedt said. "The mom was really distraught by the time we were there."

Viktor is a truck driver and left town on Monday for his job, which was the same day as the fire, said Rondestvedt.

"I felt really sorry for her," Rondestvedt said. "It was just really devastating. I think they're going to be all right. I think they have to get through the initial days of it."

Galina Teleguz was the only person home at the time of the fire and the couple living in the other half of the duplex was gone. She was briefly sent to the hospital and released.

Red Cross helped the Teleguzes buy diapers, formula and some replacement clothing on Monday, Rondestvedt said.

The family stayed in Soap Lake with Galina's sister Larisa Sgoyan on Monday and were still with her on Tuesday, Sgoyan said.

For more information about helping the Teleguzes, Sgoyan can be reached at 509-246-8014.

The second family living in the other side of the duplex is Don and Vera Kottwitz, who didn't appear to have children living in the home, Gribble said. The Kottwitzes own the duplex.

Gribble said the Kottwitzes appeared to have a relative they were going to stay with.

Grant County Fire District No. 5 Battalion Chief Leonard Johnson said the fire remains under investigation and is currently being ruled accidental. The fire's point of origin appears to be in the kitchen.

There was insurance on the duplex, Johnson said.

When firefighters arrived, they discovered the fire burned the service connection to the home and power lines were arcing and sparking in the front yard, he said.

Firefighters are trained to avoid live electricity and they weren't able to immediately enter the home, he said.

Utility workers had to shut the power off before firefighters could enter, Johnson said.

There was also a delay in 9-1-1 being called as Galina Teleguz first tried to put the fire out with a garden hose, Johnson said.

Firefighters left the scene at 9:45 p.m. Monday after performing a complete overhaul.

Gribble said he thinks there are more unanswered questions, such as the oil being used while Teleguz was cooking.

She was reportedly getting ready to boil water to make macaroni and added oil in the water to keep the noodles from sticking together, he said.

The fire took off because of the construction of the 30,084 square-foot duplex, which was built in 1959, he said.