Everson barn burns in early morning fire

EVERSON – A barn in the 6800 block of Nooksack Road (Highway 9) just south of Everson was  destroyed  by fire on July 29.
At approximately 1:48 a.m. firefighters from Fire District 1 arrived on scene. Units from Fire Districts 4, 7, and 14 also responded to assist. When firefighters arrived, they found a barn full of hay engulfed in flames.
Fire officials said no people or livestock were injured. The barn the fire started in was destroyed, including approximately 160 tons of hay. An adjacent barn suffered damage. Crews remained on scene until about 11:30 a.m. Thursday. Farm workers helped spread out the hay out to get it extinguished, and the farm’s sprinkler system was being used to put it out.
The fire appears to have started when one of the hay bales spontaneously combusted inside the barn. Farm owner Michelle Vandellen said the hay was feed for the 470 dairy cows on the farm. Other feed will be used to feed the cows until they are able to purchase more hay. They are hopeful insurance will cover the approximate $100,000 loss.
A number of residents reported smoke in the air. The area is expected to smolder for several days.
Additional information was not available as of press time.