KENNEWICK -- A 71-year-old woman was severely burned Sunday morning after a fire started inside her room at Cedars Inn and Suites in Kennewick.
The Yakima resident was apparently smoking in bed, which ignited bedding and clothing, according to the Kennewick police and fire departments.
The fire started about 5 a.m. at 602 N. Young St. When firefighters arrived, the motel staff already had all occupants accounted for and were evacuating the building, according to a news release.
The fire was contained in a single room on the third floor.
The woman was transported to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, and then flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, said Kennewick Fire Marshal Mark Yaden.
Kennewick police were called to the same hotel room Saturday evening. Hotel staff reported three young children were unsupervised at about 9:11 p.m., said Kennewick Police Officer John Greenough.
Their grandmother and mother were intoxicated and not able to supervise the children, girls ages 3 and 6 and a 7-year-old boy, Greenough said.
The mother, Kaci M. Worley, 31, of Yakima, was arrested in connection with failure to supervise, a misdemeanor, he said. The children were removed by Child Protective Services, he said.
The family was in the area for an undisclosed event, Greenough said.
The grandmother was the only occupant of the room when the fire began, he said.
Fire damage and injuries were minimized because of the quick actions of motel staff and the building's fire sprinkler system, according to the fire department.
The sprinkler system extinguished the fire before the woman was found, according to the fire department.
Careless smoking and alcohol may have contributed to the fire, according to the fire department.
The motel's 120 occupants were taken in by the nearby Hilton Garden Inn, according to the news release.
Richland and Pasco fire departments and Benton Fire District 1 helped cover for the Kennewick fire stations while Kennewick firefighters were busy at the motel.
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