A house fire occurred at 222 Stanton St. early Saturday afternoon. Four people–two adults and two small children–were in the house but escaped with no injuries; two cats were taken to a veterinary office.
The fire, which was called in at 12:19 p.m., started from a basement fireplace according to Brad Morris, a deputy chief for the Walla Walla Fire Department.
According to the Union-Bulletin, a door to the fireplace was left open, causing ash to spew out and spread to the main floor. There was an estimated 125,000 dollars in damages.
Though there was no obvious charring on the outside of the house, witnesses said they saw smoke coming from the house.
The house, which is located behind Jewett Dining Hall and Lyman House, is a Whitman-owned rental, according to Scott Towslee, a rental property maintenance technician for the college. It was occupied by Assistant Professor of English Christopher Leise and his family.
