A December apartment fire in Ferndale that killed two people was determined to be accidental after furniture near heated baseboards caught on fire.
The Whatcom County Fire Marshal’s Office completed the investigation. The office determined the fire started in the living room.
Whatcom County Fire District 7 crews were dispatched around 7:04 a.m. on Dec. 5 to a residence at the 2100 block of Eastview Place in Ferndale after a report of a structure fire. Crews encountered a fire on the second floor.
It took less than 20 minutes to gain control of the fire, and fire crews annd Ferndale Police officers were able to enter the building.
Kristine Gregory, 53, died of smoke inhalation, while Sierra Johnson, 26, was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where she died of injuries related to smoke inhalation and burns.
Tiffany Honey, a fire inspector in the Fire Marshal’s office, said the final determination for monetary loss was around $200,000
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
