— from Kevin O’Brien, Chief, OIFR —
At 11:40 a.m. today, Friday, January 23, 2015, Orcas Island Fire and Rescue was dispatched to a home in the Pine Ridge Drive in the White Beach neighborhood for the report of a structure fire. The home owner was on location and reported the fire had started around the vicinity of the wood stove that was in operation.
Firefighters arrived to find an approximate 2000 square foot detached shop structure fully involved in flames. Twenty-five OIFR members and ten fire and aid vehicles responded.
Due to the narrow, wooded road conditions, an OIFR SUV was put to use hauling personnel and equipment to the fire scene. Through the hard work of the responders, the fire was quickly brought under control. Due to the building construction and the nature of the contents, an excavator from Orcas Construction Company assisted in fully extinguishing the fire.
There were no injuries to civilians or responders and the incident is currently under investigation, but appears to be accidental in nature.
A hearty thank you to all OIFR responders and auxiliary members!
Orcas Island Fire and Rescue recommends that chimneys are cleaned and inspected at least once a year, and more often depending on the chimney design, the frequency of use, and the fuel burned.
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I want to thank all the responders
for doing a great job in a very
difficult access to this property,
in a totally wooded area. I can’t
imagine this happening in the dry
season, very scary.
Thank you
This was a neighbor’s shop.