Northwest Avenue fire shows, ‘It’s time for us all to start thinking winter safety’

Football is in full swing. The Major League Baseball playoffs have begun. Trees are changing and beginning to clog the gutters. And many of you up before the sun Thursday likely had to scramble to find the ice scraper to remove a thin layer of frost on your windshield if you park outside.

Yep — like it or not, fall is definitely here.

Since the calendar flipped to October, Bellingham’s official overnight low temperature has plummeted 15 degrees, according to the National Weather Service Seattle office, from 53 degrees Sunday to 38 with a 33-degree wind chill at 6:53 a.m. Thursday.

A commercial fire shortly after midnight Wednesday at the Habitat Northwest apartments along Northwest Avenue fortunately didn’t do much damage, Bellingham Fire Assistant Chief Bill Hewett said in an interview with The Bellingham Herald. But, he added, it should serve as a reminder to every Whatcom County resident of the new and different fire dangers that pop up as the weather gets chillier.

“It sounds like there was a small box next to a fireplace,” Hewett said. “They had a fire going in the fireplace, and investigators think it was accidental, caused by a spark that jumped out and ignited something. It’s time for us all to start thinking winter safety.”

Even though Wednesday’s fire was not a chimney fire, Hewett advised now is the perfect time to get chimneys cleaned before you need a fire to stay warm.

He also said making sure you have the right type of screen in front of an open fireplace to prevent sparks from jumping out.

“Making sure you have the flue open is one of the most common problems with the first fire of the year,” Hewett said. “You forget about it or are not sure if you have it open or closed, and then you smoke up the entire house.”

“Never leave a fire in a fireplace unattended,” The American Academy of Pediatrics states on its website. It also suggests smoke and carbon monoxide detectors be tested monthly as well as having a fire extinguisher. The organization offered these additional fireplace safety tips:

▪ Crack a window when a fire is burning.

▪ Use dry and well-aged wood to limit smoke and reduce soot build up.

▪ Use small pieces of wood placed on a grate to reduce smoke.

▪ Remove old ashes before starting a fire.

▪ Check your chimney each year for blockages.

▪ Safety screens help avoid burns from hot glass.

This story was originally published October 4, 2018 at 10:31 AM.