A Friday morning fire reported just after 9 a.m. on Bay Avenue in Hoquiam is the latest in a week replete with them.
“We’ve had a busy few days,” said Hoquiam Fire Chief Matt Miller in a phone interview. “They’re just coming in a clump right now. I think for the year of 2022 we had approximately 50 real structure fires. We’re at four for this year.”
Fires can come in waves, Miller said, with several instances followed by a period of relative calm.
“It just happens to be at the peak moment,” Miller said.
The smoke plume from a structure fire in Hoquiam could be seen miles away on the morning of Feb. 17. (Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World)
Bay Avenue
The Friday fire was first reported by multiple callers at about 9 a.m. A plume of smoke from the fire could be seen against the clear blue sky for miles, and drew in a crowd of a dozen onlookers as members of the Hoquiam and Aberdeen fire departments responded to the fire, while members of the Hoquiam Police Department blocked off roads to allow the firefighters room to work.
“There were numerous reports that the house was on fire,” Miller said. “There was three occupants in the house. They were all able to get out safely.”
A firefighter checks out the upstairs of a two-story home in Hoquiam ravaged by fire on Feb. 17. (Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World)
Open front and back doors to the house allowed the fire to feed ravenously on fresh air, and flames could be seen shooting out of the windows by onlookers.
“We started with a defensive attack because of the amount of smoke and flames that were coming out of multiple sides, multiple windows,” Miller said. “We’ve identified the location in a downstairs back bedroom. The cause of the fire is undetermined.”
The damage was severe but possibly salvageable, Miller said.
“There was some pretty extensive damage and we had to do some pretty extensive digging to get the fire out of the walls,” Miller said.
Firefighters converse after fighting a structure fire in a two-story house in Hoquiam to a standstill on Friday morning, Feb. 17. (Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World)
Laurel Street
The Friday morning fire was close on the heels of another Hoquiam structure fire on Thursday afternoon, this one on Laurel Street, Miller said.
“We had a fire last night up on Laurel. That was a one-story,” Miller said. “Smoke and flames showing on arrival. They got in and knocked it down and did a pretty good stop.”
There was some structural damage in the back half of the house, Miller said.
Firefighters stack up and prepare to conduct an offensive attack on a fire in a two-story house in Hoquiam on Friday, Feb. 17. (Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World)
“We were there till about 10:30 last night,” Miller said. “No one was hurt and no firefighters were hurt.”
Limiting damage can be as simple as shutting doors and windows when residents leave a residence, Miller said.
“We encourage people to close doors and windows as they’re leaving,” Miller said. “Limit the amount of air there is to feed the fire.”
Members of the Hoquiam Police Department, seen in the foreground, helped provide support for fire departments attacking a structure fire in a two-story home in Hoquiam on Friday morning, Feb. 17. (Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World)
Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.
