House fire near Nooksack displaces 5 adults, 2 kids

Seven people were displaced when a 93-year-old house caught fire Monday near Nooksack.

No one was hurt when the fire broke out around 4 p.m. in an upstairs bedroom on the south side of the home at 8310 Gillies Road, said Chief Mel Blankers, of Whatcom County Fire District 1. A resident had noticed a strong electrical smell in the home around the time of the 911 call.

Fire engines and water tenders from Everson, Lynden and Sumas rushed to the scene. Smoke was billowing from the eaves on two sides of the home when they arrived. Ten minutes after the firefighters’ arrival, the flames were knocked down with only a few hundred gallons of water, Blankers said.

Much of the damage was kept to the bedroom, though smoke and water left their marks elsewhere.

Mitch Nolze, an investigator with the county fire marshal’s office, ruled it an accidental fire sparked by old knob-and-tube wiring in a ceiling space. Why the wires malfunctioned – if they were moved or damaged – remains unclear, though Nolze noted that recent construction work had been done in the house.

Fire officials estimated the damage at $100,000.

Five adults and two children lived in the house, Nolze said. The home won’t be habitable until it’s repaired. The local chapter of the Red Cross was called to help the family while they are displaced.

County assessor’s records show the two-story home was built in 1924.

This story was originally published April 4, 2017 at 5:15 PM with the headline "House fire near Nooksack displaces 5 adults, 2 kids."