LYNDEN, Wash. — First responders were dispatched to the area of Visser and Bender Roads about 11:45am on Saturday, April 20th, due to reports of an outside fire. The initial units arriving on scene requested additional resources realizing this was a much larger fire than expected.
North Whatcom Fire and Rescue Fire Chief Jason Van der Veen told Whatcom News the fire eventually spread to about 30 acres of forested area and was initially driven by northeasterly winds.
Firefighters set up a defensive position around a residence near the fire. It was not damaged according to Van der Veen.
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Click for more informationA sudden shift in the weather brought a drop in temperature and some rain, “which helped a bit” according to Van der Veen. But an accompanying wind shift caused the fire to “blow up” and head north towards the US-Canada border.
Canadian firefighters were notified and assisted from their side of the border. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was also notified and responded to assist.
A firefighter was injured and taken to PeaceHealth St Joseph Medical Center with a non-life-threatening injury.
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Click for more informationVan der Veen said the fire scene was turned over to DNR about 8:30pm with the fire mostly contained.
Multiple other agencies responded to help battle the fire. They included Whatcom County Fire Districts 1, 7 and 14 and Lynden Fire Department. Customs and Border Patrol helped provide traffic control in the area.
Whatcom County Fire Marshal’s Office and DNR are investigating the cause of the fire.
Van der Veen expressed concern over the current fire risk which has been demonstrated by this and other recent outside fires in Whatcom County. “Once winds exceed 7mph, outside fires can become a big risk.”
