A renowned South Whidbey chainsaw carver lost his entire woodshop and belongings to an early morning fire on Friday.
According to South Whidbey Fire/EMS, personnel responded to the Glendale Road address in Clinton at 1:45 a.m. on Dec. 2. Firefighters arrived to find a burning shed and worked swiftly to keep the fire from spreading to nearby structures – including a mobile home – and a propane tank. No one was injured.
Deputy Chief Terry Ney said firefighters were on the scene for about five hours. The cause was related to the chimney, but the specifics are unknown due to the amount of destruction in the area of origin. Within three days, a GoFundMe account raised over $28,000 for Steve and Nanette Backus, the affected property owners.