Two Whatcom County house fires sparked by space heaters used to keep pipes from freezing
Two Whatcom County house fires that started within 24 hours of each other were sparked by space heaters placed underneath homes to keep water pipes from freezing, investigators said.
At the first fire, a man and a woman who lived in a two-story Ferndale home were awakened by smoke alarms and the smell of smoke about 4:15 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, said Fire District 7 Chief Gary Russell.
The two renters ran downstairs, got outside of the house at 5746 Vista Drive and called the fire department.
When firefighters arrived at 4:27 a.m., flames were rushing up the walls. because of the home’s 1920s “balloon-style” framing, the fire quickly spread to the second story, Russell said.
Firefighters knocked down walls with chainsaws to get inside and put out the flames. That prevented more serious damage but caused the majority of the $10,000 to $12,000 in property damage to the home, about 7 percent of its total value, Russell said.
Firefighters braved slippery roads, 10 degree temperatures and the threat of frostbite while they put out the blaze; it was snowing as the engines drove back to the station, Russell said.
Investigators later found a space heater had been placed underneath the home to keep the water pipes from freezing. the renters had been using the tactic as temperatures dipped into the teens this week. a faulty wire shorted and sparked the blaze, Russell said.
Neither renter was injured. Friends have offered them a place to stay while the home is being repaired, Russell said. Repairs may not take too long, because the electricity and furnace were still working when firefighters left the scene.
Early Thursday, Bellingham firefighters were dispatched to a fire at an unoccupied one-story house at 2618 Cedarwood Ave.
When they arrived about 12:30 a.m., they saw heavy smoke billowing from the roof, said Bellingham Fire Chief Bill Boyd. Flames could be seen in the kitchen area.
The blaze was knocked down quickly, and within 40 minutes firefighters were clearing the scene, Boyd said.
Just like in the other fire, a space heater had been placed in a crawl space next to the water pipes to keep them from freezing. in this case, however, foam boards and a bale of hay were about 6 to 12 inches away, said Bellingham Fire Marshal Jason Napier.
The homeowner had visited earlier that day to check on the home, and the materials combusted overnight, Napier said. Flames first spread from the crawl space into the kitchen and bathroom walls. the fire had moved up to the attic of the 900-square-foot home before it was extinguished.
Napier estimated the structure suffered about $44,000 in damage, and about $33,000 in possessions were also destroyed. the home was valued at more than $215,000.
The safest way to keep water pipes from freezing is to purchase pipe heating cables, also called heat tape, Napier said.
The electric cables wrap around pipes and kick in at cold temperatures to keep water just warm enough to prevent freezing. they can be purchased at hardware stores.
