1972 — Jan 5, Fire, Washington Hotel (transients and the elderly), Toppenish, WA — 8-9

–9 Jones, J. C. “A Brief Look At The Hotel Fire Record.” NFPA Fire Journal, May 1981, p. 40.
–8 AP. “Toppenish Fire Kills 8 People.” Daily Chronicle, Centralia-Chehalis, WA. 1-6-1972, p1.
–8 Kershner, Jim. “Toppenish – Thumbnail History.” HistoryLink.org.

Narrative Information

Newspapers

Jan 5: “Toppenish, Wash. (AP) – At least five persons are dead and one injured after an early morning fire raced through the Washington Hotel Wednesday, Toppenish Fire Chief Rusty Crame4r said.” (Associated Press. “Five Dead in Hotel Blaze.” Port Angeles Evening News, WA. 1-5-1972, p. 1.)

Jan 6: “Toppenish, Wash (AP) – The Washington Hotel, ‘pretty plush in its day’ but now a haven for transients and the elderly, proved a death trap for eight persons because there was a ‘lack of means to escape,’ a state official says.

“Police and firemen resumed their search of the burned-out ruins Thursday, hoping they would uncover no more bodies.

“The hotel manager, Vere Dee Tharp, was listed in critical condition in Toppenish hospital after being rescued from the fire. Policeman Joe Young sustained burned hands from smothering Tharp’s flaming clothes.

“Toppenish Fire Chief Robert Kramer said the fire was believed to have started in a waste can in the empty lobby of the two-story building. It spread rapidly and ingulfed the 31-room hotel about 6 a.m. Wednesday. A fire that started in that same spot a month ago did no damage, he said.

“Karl Herrmann, state insurance commissioner and state fire marshal called the hotel ‘one of the fire traps that resulted in tragedy.’ ‘We have 175 buildings such as this that are eminently dangerous to human life,’ he added. ‘They are not up to a reasonable code. ‘I realize we must have low cost rooms, but we also must insist that they have at least the minimum facilities for escape, Herrmann added. ‘The best information from the scene reveals it did not have proper avenues of escape. One door was blocked and there’s not any fire escape except out the main door.’

“Police said 20 persons were registered at the hotel. Officers said they did not know how many persons were accounted for. The Red Cross at the scene said it could account for 18 persons. There was no immediate explanation for the disparity in the numbers. There also had been confusion Wednesday about the number of persons killed. Officials at one point said 10 persons had died in the fire.

“The hotel’s desk was located on the second floor, officials said, and the lobby was most often empty. The undetected fire swept so quickly to the second floor that victims had little or no chance to escape, a fire official said. Some might have been overcome by smoke too quickly for escape, he added.

“First word of the fire came when an unknow persons stuck his head into the police station and yelled ‘There’s a fire,’ and ran.” (Associated Press. “Toppenish Fire Kills 8 People.” The Daily Chronicle, Centralia-Chehalis, WA. 1-6-1972, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Five Dead in Hotel Blaze.” Port Angeles Evening News, WA. 1-5-1972, p. 1. Accessed 1-27-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/port-angeles-evening-news-jan-05-1972-p-1/

Associated Press. “Toppenish Fire Kills 8 People.” The Daily Chronicle, Centralia-Chehalis, WA. 1-6-1972, p. 1. Accessed 1-27-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/centralia-daily-chronicle-jan-06-1972-p-1/

Jones, Jon C. “A Brief Look At The Hotel Fire Record.” NFPA Fire Journal, May 1981, p. 40.

Kershner, Jim. “Toppenish – Thumbnail History.” HistoryLink.org. (The Free Encyclopedia of Washington State History.) Accessed 1-27-2022 at: https://www.historylink.org/file/10400