Wildfire Threatens Pleasant Ridge Settlement
A brush fire east of La Conner consumes a sheriff's home and endangers local homesteads.
A serious fire is raging in the woods of Pleasant Ridge, three miles east of La Conner, which at the present writing has burned Sheriff O’Laughlin’s house, with most of the household effects and several tons of hay, and threatens to extend to Chilberg’s and Dunlap’s houses. A number of friends have collected to prevent the fire from spreading, and it is hoped they will be successful.
“A serious fire is raging in the woods... and threatens to extend to Chilberg’s and Dunlap’s houses.”
This incident highlights the perennial danger of fire in the Skagit Valley's timbered regions, a recurring hazard for rural settlements. Even in the 1880s, the community-led effort to contain the blaze was the primary line of defense against the loss of homes and infrastructure.
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