Burning Down The House

In 2017, when a private parcel of land near the south dyke of the Skagit River remained valuable but its structure dilapidated, a controlled burn by the La Conner Fire Department (LCFD) and neighboring fire departments was the answer.

Months of strategic planning, education, and weekly fire trainings took place at the fire hall and the burn site to learn more about the structure’s layout and estimate the effectiveness of their firefighting tools.

On that summer day of the scheduled burn, the LCFD arrived and held a safety briefing to review the overall burn plan: a firefighter controlled the door to determine who went in (new people with experienced people) and when. With the fire trucks and firefighters in place, the fire was lit. At first, there was a slow smolder, and then the fire erupted from within the house through various openings, resembling a fire-breathing dragon inside the house, puffing away vicariously. Flames burned deep red and amber and engulfed the structure charring it safely to the ground-just as planned.

Thank you to the owners of the property for the real-time training. These training fires help the La Conner Volunteer Firefighters become even more skilled at responding to live emergencies and rescuing people in danger. Our next controlled burn will take place in October 2022.