Whatcom fire crews prevent tragedy in hare-raising Acme barn fire

Maybe rabbits feet really are lucky, or you could call this a hoppy ending — no bunny reportedly was harmed when an old barn caught fire early Thursday morning in Acme.

“When we got the call, I was worried,” Whatcom County Fire District 16 Chief Hank Maleng said of the 1:04 a.m. call to the 4800 block Turkington Road in an interview Thursday with The Bellingham Herald. “I knew where that place was, and that the house was close, and it had the potential to be a real bad situation.”

Part of the reason for Maleng’s fears, he said, were numerous cages full of “a lot of rabbits — like hundreds” inside the approximately 100-year-old barn.

When District 16 crews arrived on scene, Maleng said they found the south wall of the barn and a nearby van fully involved.

“We had to fight it for a little while,” Maleng said. “There was fuel coming out of the van, but we took care of it.”

Crews also kept flames away from the rabbits, Maleng said, while the loafing shed design with an open section provided the rabbits with enough fresh air. Heat and smoke mostly were contained above their cages.

“They were a little dirty and wet,” Maleng said of the rabbits. “I think it you’d opened the door, they all probably would have been gone, but the best part was nobody was hurt.”

Fire investigators estimated approximately $30,000 in damage to the van and barn. Maleng said owners were considering replacing the barn before the fire, but it was left standing.

The cause is believed to be a malfunctioning electrical power panel.