Explosion in garage rattles Everson Tuesday afternoon, and should serve as a reminder
Nobody was injured and the damage was surprisingly minimal after Whatcom County firefighters were called to the site of an explosion Tuesday afternoon in Everson.
Whatcom County Fire District 1 crews were called to the 300 block of South Washington Street in Everson for the report of an explosion, according to the PulsePoint app.
Chief Mel Blankers told The Bellingham Herald he didn’t know how far away the explosion was heard, “but the lights at the fire station flickered right before we got the call, though whether that was related, I don’t know.”
Crews arrived to find only light smoke coming from the detached garage, Blankers said, though witnesses told them that the smoke was much heavier right after the explosion.
“The occupant of the house went in and put out much of the flames with a garden hose before we got there,” Blankers said.
Fortunately, nobody was in the garage at the time of the explosion, Blankers reported, estimating that damage to the garage was likely only a few hundred dollars.
A small can of butane fuel on a shelf is believed to have been exposed to heat, causing the explosion, fire investigator Jacob Johnson told The Herald.
With the winter season’s first freezing temperatures starting to appear, the explosion should serve as a reminder for all Whatcom County residents to keep in mind where they store flammable items.
“Be careful with house heaters,” Johnson said. “Make sure to keep flammable materials away from baseboard and wall heaters. If you use propane to heat, make sure it’s well ventilated and to keep anything that could catch fire clear.”
Burn ban
Due to air quality in the area caused by cold, calm air, the Northwest Clean Air Agency has called for a Stage 2 burn ban in the Columbia Valley urban growth area, including Peaceful Valley and Paradise Lakes.
During a Stage 2 burn ban, all burning, including wood-burning fireplaces, wood stoves, fireplace inserts and pellet stoves, is banned unless you quality for an exemption from the agency. No outdoor fires of any kind, including yard waste, land clearing, agricultural, forest burning and recreational, are allowed.
Burn ban violators can face fines and other enforcement actions, according to a release.
