One injured in Whatcom County house fire

A house fire injured one person Monday night on Drayton Harbor Road south of Blaine, said North Whatcom Fire and Rescue Chief Jason Van Der Veen

Van Der Veen said the closest North Whatcom unit when the call came in at 7:33 p.m. Feb. 20 was already responding to a medical aid call so the Lynden Fire Department was the first to arrive.

The fire was confined to one room, but the house was damaged throughout by smoke and water.

The name and condition of the injured person are not known, but the person was taken to St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham.

As call volume increases it has become more normal to have multiple agencies respond. “We have to rely on our neighbors more and more,” Van Der Deen said.

There were high winds the night of the fire, and the structure had an attic. If the fire gets into the attic, especially in older homes, it can be difficult to fully extinguish, Van Der Veen said. Crews needed to be sure the fire was not going to rekindle, so even though the fire was under control in 20 minutes, they stayed on site for over three hours, he said.