Three cats killed in Whatcom County mobile home fire in busy day for firefighters
Three cats were killed and a Whatcom County family was displaced by a mobile home fire Thursday afternoon in Maple Falls believed to be caused by a heat lamp.
Whatcom County Fire District 14 crews were called at 12:03 p.m. June 10 to the 8500 block of Lilac Lane for the report of a structure fire, according to a news release.
Crews from the Sumas, Kendall and Welcome stations arrived to find a 1970s vintage double wide mobile home fully involved in fire, with flames spreading to nearby trees, the release states.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, but approximately half of the home had severe fire, heat and water damage and the rest had severe smoke damage, the release stated, and three cats were killed.
A family of two adults and two children was not home at the time, and there were no injuries, according to the release, but the American Red Cross assisted the family.
The Whatcom County Fire Marshal’s Office investigated and determined the likely cause of the fire was a heat lamp was operating inside the home, the release states.
Shortly after that fire, District 14 crews were sent at 12:44 p.m. to another fire in the 600 block of Sprague Valley Drive in Maple Falls, according to the release. The second call was for a small fire in a 30-foot travel trailer.
The trailer was full of household goods, making it difficult to extinguish the fire, the release stated. Firefighters had to cut a hole in the wall of the trailer, which was likely a total loss.
Nobody was in the trailer at the time of the fire, so there were no injuries, according to the release, but the cause still remains under investigation.
And, as if those two calls weren’t enough, District 14 crews responded to a pair of medical calls only minutes before the Lilac Lane fire, according to the release.
