BLAINE, Wash. — First responders were dispatched to a report of a structure fire in the 4500 block of Drayton Harbor Road about 7:30pm yesterday, Monday, February 20th.
North Whatcom Fire & Rescue Fire Chief Jason Van der Veen told Whatcom News that the call came in as a structure fire with the occupants in the process of evacuating.
Firefighters learned there had been a stove fire earlier in the 2-story residence but that had been extinguished using a towel. It was suspected that towel later reignited in a laundry room.
1 of the occupants was immediately transported to PeaceHealth St Joseph Medical Center by a medic unit under advanced life support (ALS) protocol.
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Click for more informationVan der Veen said winds were a factor in battling the fire and due to a concern about the potential for the fire to rekindle, firefighters conducted an extensive overhaul to ensure there were no hotspots.
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Click for more information3 adults living in the residence were displaced and were being cared for by friends and family.
Fire damage was limited to the laundry room but there was smoke damage throughout the residence.
A firefighter suffered a minor injury while battling the fire.
Both directions of Blaine Road (SR548) were closed for a couple hours at Drayton Harbor Road due to the emergency response vehicles and personnel in the roadway.
The closest manned unit at the time of the dispatch was from the NWFR Birch Bay station was on a medical emergency call. The first units to arrive were from Ferndale and Blaine. Van der Veen said it has been a challenge since the recent levy failed to get enough personnel to these incidents to begin battling the fires quickly.