SNOHOMISH — Keith Stocker is grateful someone saw the smoke in time.
A fire last week at the Stockers’ site along Airport Way burned down an open shed, but it did not engulf the produce stand market next door. That would have been the tragedy.
The Stockers didn’t plan to run its Country Market produce stand this year, but the stand holds plenty of sentiment. Keith Stocker remembers selling produce at the site with his grandfather Edwin; Ed Stocker, a lifelong farmer who passed in 2017, was Keith’s dad and built the produce stand together with wife Edith.
The fire also scorched the equipment trailers for the Snohomish girls and boys lacrosse teams that sat at the edge of Harvey Field’s property.
Inside the boys’ trailer, there was only minimal damage to a lacrosse goal, Boys Club president Chris Cook said. Emails to the girls lacrosse team went unanswered by deadline.
The teams concluded their seasons a few weeks ago.
A passerby noticed the fire at 10 p.m. Tuesday, June 10. Firefighters got it knocked down within an hour, Snohomish Fire Chief Ron Simmons said.
The fire consumed the shed that held equipment. Long-time residents may remember it as a petting zoo that operated until about 2007.
The county fire marshal’s office was still investigating as of last week. A call to the marshal who responded was not returned by press time.
The shed contained everything imaginable to feed a fire: Lumber, wooden berry boxes and more, Stocker said.
“I’m grateful for the fire department stopping an outrageously hot fire,” Stocker said. “I don’t know how the fire department managed to keep it from spreading.”
Phone calls of kindness, sympathy and offers to help rebuild packed Stocker’s cell phone. He said he appreciated the community’s response.
The produce stand sustained some damage to the cold-air equipment along the wall that faced the flames, Stocker said.
Closing the stand was a business decision — a bittersweet conclusion to 40 years of operation — as the family has its hands full with its blueberry farm, and a full slate of weddings and events at its red barn off of Highway 9, Stocker said.
The fire was “certainly disruptive, but we’ll do what we do and persevere,” Stocker said.
Snohomish Fire, Lake Stevens Fire and Fire Districts 7 and 1 responded. Altogether, six fire trucks responded.
