SAN JUAN ISLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT

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Fire razes Wade Sundstrom's barn

Story by Matt Pranger

Photo courtesy of Shay Byington and San Juan Island Update

posted 11/11/04
A blaze roared through Wade Sundstrom's century-old barn and a shop along Douglas Road on San Juan Island this morning, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2004. About a dozen islanders reported the fire at about 10 a.m. Firefighters fought the fire into the afternoon but were unable to save the historic wooden building.

Matt Pranger photo

Matt Pranger photo

The fire appears to have started in the shop, about 10 feet from the large cedar barn. When the first fire engines arrived, the shop was engulfed in flames and about one-third of the main barn was on fire, said Brad Creesy, San Juan Island assistant fire chief. More than 30 firefighters fought the fire and kept it from spreading to a nearby house and garage. Town of Friday Harbor firefighters also helped. "That was great," Creesy said. "We were running out of people."

The wooden barn, other wood and hay stored in and around it provided ample fuel to keep the blaze burning extremely hot. "Hay barns throw out a lot of heat," Creesy noted.

The San Juan fire crews exhausted their supply of air and the Town of Friday Harbor brought their system. "They (firefighters) definitely got their workout today," Creesy said.

Matt Pranger photo

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