Explosion blows hole through roof of Prosser motel, leaving 180-foot debris field

KENNEWICK — An explosion at a Prosser motel ripped an 8-foot by 8-foot hole in the roof on Monday, spreading debris in a 180-foot radius.

The electrical water heater in a mechanical room at the Wine Valley Inn blew up about 6:30 p.m. Monday. The room was in the corner of the L-shaped building at 1206 Wine Country Road.

The explosion also damaged a brick wall and destroyed the studs in an adjoining room, Nick Alsbury, the city’s senior building inspector told the Tri-City Herald.

The motel was being renovated and no one was in the area at the time of the explosion, he said.

While firefighters initially responded to what they believed was a fire, it turned out the explosion didn’t ignite anything.

City crews blocked off roads and helped with removing hazardous debris, said a city news release.

No one was available at the Inn on Wednesday to answer questions about the renovation plans.

Alsbury said the owners could repair the damage without needing to tear down the building.

The area around the damaged building is closed to the public.