Strong winds fan flames as Whatcom home burns
Fire destroyed a house north of Ferndale, as brisk winds fanned the flames while firefighters searched for a person they thought was inside.
No injuries were reported in the fire at 5912 Portal Way, which took firefighters about two hours to extinguish on Thursday, Oct. 27, said Chief Larry Hoffman of Whatcom County Fire District 7.
“We were kind of in rescue mode at first,” Hoffman told The Bellingham Herald, because firefighters were told that someone was still inside.
Once all six residents were accounted for, firefighters focused on the fire, which was reported about 10:15 a.m.
But flames spread throughout the home, Hoffman said, pushed by winds that were blowing at 20-25 mph and gusting to 40 mph, according to data from the National Weather Service at Bellingham International Airport.
Cause of the fire was under investigation, and a damage estimate wasn’t immediately available.
Firefighters from Bellingham and North Whatcom Fire and Rescue helped fight the fire, Hoffman said.
