Horse, 20 Calves Killed in Wash. Barn Fire
Source The Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Wash.)
Jan. 09--LYNDEN -- A large barn fire at a dairy farm east of Lynden killed 20 calves and a horse Wednesday morning, Jan. 9.
The homeowner woke up to milk his cows at 4 a.m. but was met by smoke and flames in his 50-by-100-foot stable barn at 1747 Kamm Road, said Lynden Fire Assistant Chief Robert Spinner.
Firefighters arrived to find the barn blazing. "Two horses and a bunch of cows" were evacuated to a safe distance, but many of the calves didn't make it, said Whatcom County Fire Marshal Will Anderson.
The largest flames were beaten down after about 45 minutes. But a large hay loft collapsed, leaving firefighters to battle for another four hours, to ensure no hotspots were buried in the hay.
The century-old barn was a total loss. Sheds almost touching three sides of the barn were saved. Firefighters estimated the total property damage at $400,000.
Old, pre-World War II wiring in the second-floor loft -- where the wires may have come in contact with a hay bale and gotten hot -- appeared to be the likely cause, Anderson said.
Reach Caleb Hutton at 360-715-2276 or [email protected]. Read his dispatcher blog at blogs.bellinghamherald.com/dispatcher or follow him on Twitter at @bhamcrime.
Copyright 2013 - The Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Wash.)
