BELLINGHAM - A fire late Friday, Nov. 23, severely damaged a pedestrian bridge over Whatcom Creek connecting Railroad Avenue and Ohio Street, according to a press release from the Bellingham Fire Department.

Nearby residents noticed the fire around 11 p.m. and helped evacuate a woman living under the bridge.

It took firefighters more than four hours to extinguish the blaze.

After daylight on Saturday morning, the fire department, Public Works and the Parks and Recreation Department spent six more hours extinguishing a stubborn smoldering beam.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, and the bridge will remain closed until repairs can be made.