Lopez Fire and emergency medical services responded to a burn investigation on Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. when a plume of smoke was seen in the area of Shark Reef from Fisherman Bay Road. On arrival at the address on Ritchie Road, the shift captain found a structure with heavy fire involvement. The first arriving engine was tasked with utilizing the large “deck gun” to knock the flames down. Crews then began the process of pulling hand lines and setting up water supply via tender shuttle. Crews stayed on scene, extinguishing hot spots into the early evening, and assisted the San Juan County Fire Marshall with their investigation. Lopez Fire and EMS was assisted by OPALCO.
The San Juan County Fire Marshall has not yet determined the cause due to poor access and an unstable structure.
While some contents are recoverable, all items within the structure suffered smoke and water damage. The building is considered a total loss.
The Lopez Island community is rallying to help the young family that lost their home. Grace and Wolf Armstrong took their baby on a trip to San Juan Island, only to return to see their home covered in ash. The cause of the fire is unknown, but possibly electrical. More than $8,000 has been raised on GoFundMe to help them recover. Here is the fundraiser link: https://www.gofundme.
Contributed photo. Firefighters at the scene of the fire.
Contributed photo. The aftermath of the fire.
Contributed photo. The aftermath of the fire.
Contributed photo. The aftermath of the fire.
