Ferndale man found dead in house fire that triggered explosion; cause of death undetermined
A Ferndale man was discovered dead this week following a house fire that triggered an explosion.
Fire crews and Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to reports of an explosion and house fire in the 1500 block of Falcon Lane around 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, according to a joint statement from the Whatcom County Fire Marshal’s Office and Whatcom County Fire District 7 (Ferndale).
Responders located the deceased property owner, Charles Roberts, 78. His cause of death remains under investigation by the Whatcom County Medical Examiner.
Fire crews could not initially enter the single-story house when they arrived since the flames had fully engulfed the building. They had to focus their efforts on controlling the flames outside before they could get inside, according to the statement.
The Whatcom County Fire Marshal’s office determined the cause of the explosion was multiple propane tanks kept in the residence, although the cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
Deputies so far have identified no criminal activity related to the fire.
This story was originally published February 28, 2025 at 11:04 AM.
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