Brush fire burns 3 sheds in Marietta

Flames burned three sheds Wednesday afternoon, April 2, 2014, on Wynn Road northwest of Bellingham. The homeowner's brush fire got out of control and led to a 50-by-50-foot grass fire between the overgrown buildings. No one was hurt.

CALEB HUTTON THE BELLINGHAM HERALD Buy Photo

Three sheds burned when a brush fire got out of control Wednesday, April 2, in the Marietta area.

Firefighters were called at 1:36 p.m. for a fire behind a home at 4037 Wynn Road, northwest of Bellingham. Flames from a controlled burn had spread to blackberry thickets in the backyard.

The homeowner called 911 as the burn fanned to a 50-by-50-foot grass and blackberry bush fire that then burned an overgrown barn and two overgrown sheds, said Bellingham Assistant Fire Chief Bill Hewett.

"I've got to give him a little pat on the back," Hewett said, "because he immediately knew to call for help when he realized it was something his garden hose couldn't handle."

The first fire engine reached the scene in seven minutes. It took firefighters from Whatcom County Fire districts 7 and 8 about an hour to extinguish the flames and mop up.

The old, weather-beaten buildings had little to no monetary value. They were being used as storage sheds. No one had a damage estimate Wednesday.

It's legal to burn in rural Whatcom County, but large brush fires require a permit. For more details, visit the county fire marshal's office website: co.whatcom.wa.us/pds/build/fire.

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Brush fire burns 3 sheds in Marietta