By Dena Wood
The Times
Arson Suspected in Whiskey Creek Fire
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Dena Wood
A charred field stretches from Wilson Hollow to Whiskey Creek on the far right.
WAITSBURG – A suspicious fire originating just off Nordheim Road cast an orange glow over Waitsburg during the wee hours of a windy Sunday morning as fire crews and farmers rushed to stop the growing blaze.
According to Columbia County Fire Marshal Kim Lyonnais, there is very strong suspicion that the fire, which came close to destroying several dwellings, was the result of arson. Investigation is continuing.
Columbia-Walla Walla Fire District No. 2 Assistant Chief Brian Callahan said the standing grain fire, which was fast moving and wind driven, broke out at about 2:50 a.m. Callahan said the fire, which destroyed between 550-600 acres of wheat, would have been significantly larger if not for the many farmers who brought equipment and disced fire lines.
The fire blew east toward Whiskey Creek, with the west edge of the fire coming within a couple hundred feet of Ivadell Nordheim's home, off Wilson Hollow. On the Whiskey Creek side, the fire approached the residences of Lee and Lisa Winnett and Brad and Margaret Ely.
All the homes were saved, but Nordheim suffered the loss of several outbuildings including a shop, a shed and a barn. Nordheim is most upset about the loss of the historic 1906 barn which she said was made with post and beam construction and had hand-cut joints and pegs.
Dena Wood
Ivadell Nordheim looks through the barn rubble to identify pieces of her cherished Studebaker wagons that were lost in the fire.
A collector of old farm equipment and machinery, Nordheim also mourns the many favorite pieces that were lost in the fire. The barn held several antique buggies, wagon, and carts, a Fairbanks Morris platform scale with all the weights, and an old harness oiler belonging to Hollis Hulce.
"Losing these things is not just a loss to me, but it's a loss to everyone. They were very old, meaningful, irreplaceable items," she said.
Nordheim said she heard a vehicle go up the road past her house, and then come back down at about 2:30 a.m. She didn't look outside, but said LZ Conover, who lives on Wilson Hollow Road noticed the orange glow of a fire shortly after that and called dispatch.
"Losing things from a fire is hard enough, but when it is intentionally set, that makes it really hard to take," Nordheim said.
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