‘It was pretty fast moving’ — spring yard work leads to fire that burns Whatcom structure
It wasn’t the typical “Nor’easter” winds northern Whatcom County is used to in the winter, but Wednesday’s steady, chilly breeze may have played a role in a fire that destroyed an outbuilding south of Lynden.
Northwest Whatcom Fire and Rescue and the Lynden and Bellingham fire departments were called at 4:10 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, to the report of a structure fire near the intersection of West Bartlett Road and Old Guide Road, according to the PulsePoint app.
“It was pretty fast moving,” Northwest Whatcom Fire and Rescue Chief Jason Van der Veen told The Bellingham Herald Thursday morning, March 10. “The first arriving crews that were coming saw it before they turned on to Bartlett. It was already fully involved by the time they got to the Wiser Lake roundabout.”
The homeowner was taking advantage of Wednesday’s sunny weather to do some home maintenance and was burning some weeds, Van der Veen reported.
“He turned around and it got away from him,” Van der Veen said.
The 20-by-30-foot outbuilding was used to house some small animals and small equipment, according to Van der Veen, who added that there were some chickens that were unaccounted for after the fire.
Van der Veen reported there were no injuries from the fire, and though flames did not spread from the outbuilding, he estimated damages to be between $50,000 and $80,000.
“It’s always best to burn in a clear area or a pit if you have one,” Van der Veen said. “Spring starts and we all get excited to get out and clean up all the stuff after winter, but we need to take into account what we’re burning and where.”
This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 9:24 AM.
