Whatcom County barn destroyed by fire Monday night, but animals escape uninjured
A Whatcom County barn and trailer were destroyed by fire Monday night north of Ferndale, but horses inside the barn “self extracted” and were uninjured.
North Whatcom Fire and Rescue crews were called 11:10 p.m. Oct. 4 to the 1700 block of Garden Farms Road for the report of a structure fire, according to the PulsePoint app. Firefighters from Bellingham, Lynden and Whatcom County Fire District 7 also assisted, North Whatcom Chief Jason Van der Veen told The Bellingham Herald.
“Unfortunately, when the homeowner was alerted to the fire and called 911, it was already fully involved,” Van der Veen said. “By the time we arrived, the roof had already collapsed.”
Firefighters had to battle the blaze defensively, Van der Veen said, attempting to limit its spread.
Flames did spread to a horse trailer that was parked next to the barn, but no animals were injured in the fire, Van der Veen said, as the horses that were in the barn “had a pretty good sense to get away from the fire and self extracted.”
“That was the high point for the owner and his wife — they were pleased no animals got hurt and no firefighters got hurt,” Van der Veen said.
The Whatcom County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating to determine the cause of the fire, Van der Veen said.
