Fire slightly delays Maltby barn nuptials

MALTBY — George Lee’s big red barn turns 100 this year.

His grandfather built the barn in 1915, on the family’s homestead on Maltby Road, where Lee still lives.

There was quite the commotion on the property this weekend. A distant relation had her wedding at the barn. The vows were delayed about an hour after two guests’ cars burned.

Investigators believe a catalytic converter from one of the cars started the blaze, catching dry grass on fire. A 2008 Infinity and a 2012 Ford Mustang both were destroyed, said Eric Andrews, the deputy chief at Snohomish County Fire District 7, which includes Maltby.

The incident was reported to 911 shortly before 4 p.m.

As firefighters headed over, they could see a column of thick black smoke, Andrews said.

“They requested more help right away,” he said.

Cars for about 200 guests were parked in three-foot-tall brown grass.

“The people were running to move their cars from the one that was burning,” he said.

Then the wind picked up and started pushing the fire east, toward the barn and other buildings. The wedding party and their guests were asked to move across the street until the fire was extinguished. It grew to about an acre before that happened.

The fire serves as a reminder to stay vigilant as the dry season continues, Andrews said.

“Those catalytic converters, they burn hot,” he said. “They burn between 900 and 1,000 degrees. They can go up to 2,000 degrees. It only takes 400 degrees to spontaneously light grass on fire.”

Crews from Woodinville, Monroe and Gold Bar assisted with the two-alarm fire. One wedding guest, a man believed to be in his 30s, was taken to the hospital after he collapsed from heat exhaustion while trying to help the crews.

The decorations were “luckily, on the other side of the barn,” Andrews said. “They might have gotten smoked up a little bit, but nothing burned.”

After the ceremony, the firefighters approached the bride and groom and offered to take pictures of them with the crews and the rigs. One photo shows the bride standing on the back of a fire truck, holding her bouquet

The couple, who are from Snohomish County and declined to speak for this story, “were happy and they loved doing that,” Andrews said.

Catalytic converter fires are more common in the dry months. A GMC minivan burned up that way in September 2012 along Marsh Road near Snohomish. Just driving through dry grass can be dangerous this time of year, Snohomish Fire Chief Ron Simmons said Monday.

The Arlington Fire Department had a catalytic converter fire a couple of years ago, Acting Chief Tom Cooper said. It remains a concern when grass fields get use as parking lots, he said.

That’s why the grass at the fairgrounds is super short, and organizers keep water or fire extinguishers nearby, according to the Monroe fire district.

Sultan Fire Chief Merlin Halverson put it succinctly Monday: “You can no longer park your vehicle in vegetation in Western Washington. Maybe in October.”

Once, on a wildfire in Eastern Washington, Andrews saw a deputy’s police car catch aflame after being parked in brush.

“We turned around and his car was fully involved,” he said. “People just wouldn’t think of how hot underneath their car is.”

There’s at least a month of fire season left, and heavy rainfall isn’t expected until September, Andrews said. Burn bans continue due to the extreme danger, and it doesn’t take much to get a blaze going.

In Snohomish County recently, two lawn mowers have started fires. The blades struck rocks or other objects and sparked.

Meanwhile on Maltby Road, George Lee, 92, is used to people stopping by to photograph his century-old barn on the hill near the Maltby Cafe.

Lee admits he was a little worried when the fire started spreading east toward the old homestead Saturday. He stayed back at the house during the wedding ceremony. From there, though, he could see the bunches of celebratory balloons rising into the air.

Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

LifeWise local co-directors Darcie Hammer and Sarah Sweeny talk about what a typical classroom routine looks like on Monday, April 14, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett off-campus Bible program draws mixed reaction from parents

The weekly optional program, LifeWise Academy, takes children out of public school during the day for religious lessons.

Protesters line Broadway in Everett for Main Street USA rally

Thousands turn out to protest President Trump on Saturday in Everett, joining hundreds of other towns and cities.

An EcoRemedy employee checks a control panel of their equipment at the Edmonds Wastewater Treatment Plant on Thursday, April 17, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds launches technology to destroy PFAS

Edmonds is the first city in the country to implement… Continue reading

Over a dozen parents and some Snohomish School District students gather outside of the district office to protest and discuss safety concerns after an incident with a student at Machias Elementary School on Friday, April 18, 2025 in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Parents protest handling of alleged weapon incident at Machias Elementary

Families say district failed to communicate clearly; some have kept kids home for weeks.

Irene Pfister, left, holds a sign reading “Justice for Jonathan” next to another protester with a sign that says “Major Crimes Needs to Investigate,” during a call to action Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Arlington. (Aspen Anderson / The Herald)
Arlington community rallies, a family waits for news on missing man

Family and neighbors say more can be done in the search for Jonathan Hoang. The sheriff’s office says all leads are being pursued.

Mary Ann Karber, 101, spins the wheel during Wheel of Forunte at Washington Oakes on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lunch and Wheel of Fortune with some Everett swinging seniors

She’s 101 and he’s 76. At Washington Oakes, fun and friendship are on the menu.

Jordan Hoffman-Nelson watches the store cameras for a couple hours each day, often detecting 5 to 10 thefts in a single sitting. (Aspen Anderson / The Herald)
At a Lynnwood thrift store, rising shoplifting mirrors larger retail crime surge

Employees at Bella’s Voice remain alert for theft on a daily basis. They aren’t the only ones.

Connect Casino Road Director Alvaro Gullien speaks at an Everett City Council meeting to share community thoughts regarding affordable housing and preventing displacement of those that live along Casino Road on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
How will Everett’s comprehensive plan work in Casino Road?

Residents in the diverse, tight-knit neighborhood want “Investment without displacement.” The city’s plan will help achieve that, staff say.

Henry M. Jackson High School’s FIRST Robotics Competition championship robotics Team 2910 Jack in the Bot on Thursday, April 24, 2025 in Mill Creek, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mill Creek robotics team celebrates world championship win

The team — known as “Jack in the Bot” — came in first place above about 600 others at a Texas world championship event last week.

Trees and foliage grow at the Rockport State Park on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 in Rockport, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Washington Legislature approves hiking Discover Pass price to $45

The price for a Washington state Discover Pass would rise by $15… Continue reading

The Washington state Capitol on April 18, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)
Parental rights overhaul gains final approval in WA Legislature

The bill was among the most controversial of this year’s session.

Snohomish firefighters appeal vaccine suspensions to Ninth Circuit

Despite lower court’s decision, eight men maintain their department did not properly accommodate their religious beliefs during COVID.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.