Basement fire causes ‘significant’ damage to Whatcom County house
A structure fire Tuesday evening that caused significant damage to a Whatcom County home along Northwest Drive north of Bellingham has been ruled accidental.
Bellingham Fire Department crews were called at 8:35 p.m. Feb. 25 to the 4500 block of Northwest Drive for the report of a structure fire, according to the PulsePoint app.
Firefighters arrived to find a two-story home with a basement fire and several people in the front yard attempting to use a garden hose to reduce the flames, Captain Dave Pethick told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
“Basement fires can be challenging simply because of access issues that are typically presented,” Pethick wrote. “This home did have lots of belongings, piles of belongings, inside.”
Pethick reported crews also had to lay approximately 700 feet of hose from the nearest hydrant, further complicating efforts.
No injuries were reported from the fire, according to Pethick, but the home suffered “significant” damage and the Red Cross was called to assist residents.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Marshal’s Office investigated the fire to determine if the fire was an act of arson, Sheriff Bill Elfo told The Herald in an email, but the fire marshal classified it as accidental.
