A Famous Fire Watch Story From the Stone Tower

In the 60’s there was a restaurant on the Olga Hill known as “Irene’s”. It was run by Irene and Orville Senff. They were known for their bakery goods and chicken dishes. They used the copious blackberries on the lower part of their property to provide delicious pies and cobblers that were served at the school in Eastsound. The Senff’s were a very respected couple on the island and enjoyed the admiration of all.

So, this is a story from one day on the stone tower some time in the 1960’s. Betty Marcum was one of the lookouts, and her brother, John Willis and his friend, Dean Buchan were “fire chasers”. i.e. When smoke was detected, on whatever island, John and Dean were dispatched in their small motorboat to investigate and possibly contact authorities. One might say, John and Dean were VERY proper young men. One day, smoke was detected on Blakely Island. At Betty’s behest, John and Dean were immediately dispatched. Upon arriving at the scene, there was, indeed, a very large beach fire AND and very inebriated couple dancing around it. There was also some discussion about lack of clothing. It seems this was the couple who owned and ran Irene’s Chicken House on the Olga Hill. One can only imagine the look on John and Dean’s faces……