Fire destroys barn, doll collection near Birch Bay
A fire destroyed a barn and a doll collection Monday, Nov. 23, near Birch Bay.
David Swartos, 57, was watching reruns of “Law & Order” in his home around 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23, when a caretaker at a neighboring home knocked on his door, 4593 Bay Road, to say the barn was on fire. They called 911.
By the time firefighters reached the scene, flames had overtaken the 30-by-40-foot structure, a former shelter for livestock. The flames were knocked down within about five minutes.
The barn was a total loss.
Other than his late mother’s doll collection, the building had been full of “a bunch of junk” — insulation, empty boxes, cardboard — Swartos said. He estimated the loss at around $1,000.
“We’d put a new roof on it, and tried to keep it standing,” he said. “Even put a little work into it. But now it’s gone.”
The barn had electricity, and Swartos said he suspected an electrical problem as a likely cause.
Caleb Hutton: 360-715-2276, @bhamcaleb
This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Fire destroys barn, doll collection near Birch Bay."