Some of the firefighters fighting a house fire on Thornton Street found themselves called off to another a few blocks away Saturday.
According to Whatcom County Fire District 7 (WCFD7) Division Chief Ben Boyko, fire crews responded to report of a structure fire at the corner of Hatton Place and Thornton Street. The garage was fully involved and the fire eventually made its way into the interior of the home.
Boyko told Discover Ferndale the home owner had been working in the garage when the fire started and made several attempts at putting the fire out. At first, it was unknown if a family member was in the upstairs of the house but Boyko credited the owner for not only keeping the fire from spreading further but also ensuring no one else was in the house after fire crews arrived.
After crews had knocked down the fire on Thornton Street, another call came in for a house fire on Apollo Drive.
According to WCFD7 Assistant Chief Larry Hoffman, the second house fire involved several interior rooms of the house. Crews were able to quickly knock down the fire and focus on ventilating the house. Hoffman said the fire started in a clothes dryer, possibly in its lint screen.
The house had heavy smoke damage throughout. Local Red Cross workers provided the 4 occupants with temporary housing.