Fire Tears Through Bellingham Home: Part of Hannegan Road Shut Down
Posted on: Tuesday, 16 May 2006, 15:06 CDT
By Michelle Theriault, The Bellingham Herald, Bellingham, Wash.
May 16--Fire damaged a home at 4328 Hannegan Road on Monday afternoon, shutting down a stretch of the road for three hours.
No one was injured, but the home owned by Carol and Jim Hitz of Bellingham was a total loss, said Brad Bannerman, training chief with the Bellingham Fire Department.
"There's no area of the house (that is) not burnt or with severe smoke damage," he said.
The fire shut down Hannegan between Bakerview and Van Wyck roads from about 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday, snarling traffic.
A witness said the fire seemed to have started from the back of the house. Its cause was not immediately known.
Mike Johnston of Lynden was driving by about 1:18 p.m. when he saw the home in flames.
"It was going pretty good," he said. "It was to the point where I knew I couldn't stop it myself."
By the time city and county firefighters arrived about 1:30 p.m., flames engulfed the back of the house. Firefighters put out the fire from the outside, but with the roof already sagging and smoke pouring out, it was too dangerous to get inside, Bannerman said.
"The real good thing is that no one was hurt," said Robin Hitz, daughter-in-law of Carol Hitz. The couple will stay with family members who live nearby.
The firefighters' work was complicated because the area, despite being within Bellingham city limits, lacks fire hydrants, Bannerman said. They had to pump in their own limited supply of water.
"It makes it considerably harder," he said, though it wouldn't have saved the house.
"It's the only place in the city (without fire hydrants)."
Reach Michelle Theriault at 756-2803 or michelle.ther iault@bellinghamherald.com.
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Copyright (c) 2006, The Bellingham Herald, Bellingham, Wash.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
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Source: The Bellingham Herald, Wash.
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