Two people suffered smoke inhalation and were transported to the hospital in an explosive fire that destroyed two structures and a truck on North Whidbey Wednesday evening.

North Whidbey Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Jobie Gause said a woman and a shirtless man managed to escape from one of the buildings before firefighters arrived at the Powell Road property at about 6 p.m. Besides smoke inhalation, the woman sustained an eye injury in the fire, which began while she was sleeping.

“It could have really bad with the amount of potential ignition sources,” he said. “Fortunately, we were able to stop it from spreading to the main house.”

Firefighters arrived to find a barn and a nearby building fully involved in flames, with explosions going off in the raging fires. Gause explained that the second building had been converted to housing, and the people were living inside.

The crews worked until 11:30 p.m. to extinguish the fires. The battalion chief explained that the metal roofs on both buildings collapsed and created pockets of flames throughout the structures. He said both buildings were filled with combustible materials.

Both buildings and a pickup that was parked nearby were destroyed in the fire. No firefighters were injured.

North Whidbey Fire crews were joined by firefighters from nearby Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. The Oak Harbor Fire Department responded to the scene later to provide an air supply unit to fill up firefighters’ breathing apparatus.

Gause said the fire started in one building and spread to the other. He returned to the scene to investigate the cause of the dangerous conflagration on Thursday. He said the investigation is ongoing but that it appears to be accidental.

(Photo by Jobie Gause) A fierce fire destroyed two buildings and a truck on North Whidbey Wednesday.