Abandoned dynamite shed burns down

No one was injured in a fire that consumed a shed in the woods behind the Bayview Cemetery.

No one was injured in a fire that consumed an abandoned shed in the woods behind the Bayview Cemetery Sunday morning.

Firefighters from South Whidbey Fire/EMS responded to the call around 8:50 a.m. on Aug. 14. A fire hose and tools were carried 100 feet deep into the woods from the closest point accessible by vehicle, according to Public Information Officer Jon Gabelein.

A total of 10 responders knocked down the fire in about 15 minutes. Because of the extremely dry vegetation, firefighters remained an additional hour in order to locate and extinguish hidden hot spots and prevent them from rekindling the main fire.

The blaze burned the surrounding 75 feet by 75 feet of brush. The shed itself was estimated to be 15 feet by 15 feet and was a total loss. Gabelein said the shed appeared to have been recently used as a shelter to live in due to household garbage and simple belongings that were present. The shed was originally built decades ago to store a business owner’s dynamite for local construction projects.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. A person in the area ran to alert someone nearby when they saw the flames.

Gabelein said South Whidbey Fire/EMS is not sure what the land owners plan to do with the property where the incident happened.