Bellingham Pho & Bubble Tea restaurant near Walmart damaged in fire, but nobody injured
The Pho & Bubble Tea restaurant along Meridian Street next to Walmart suffered “significant” damage in a fire Tuesday evening, the Bellingham Fire Department said, but no customers or employees preparing to-go orders were injured.
Firefighters were called at 7:47 p.m. Dec. 29 to 4492 Meridian St. for a commercial fire, according to the PulsePoint app.
Police were first to arrive, Captain Dave Pethick told The Bellingham Herald Wednesday, and they reported to incoming fire crews that the structure was well involved.
Police also helped clear the eight to 10 people who were in the building at the time of the fire, ensuring nobody suffered injuries, spokesperson Dustin Michaelis told The Herald.
When fire crews arrived, they found heavy fire at the back of the restaurant, which also contains a residence, Pethick reported.
“We had to attack it defensively because of the amount of involvement,” Pethick said.
Complicating issues, Pethick said, was that the water supply was across the street, forcing the closure of Meridian, and the topography of property limited fire crews from fighting the fire on the backside of the converted residence to one side.
Both floors of the building suffered damage Pethick called “significant,” and investigators are examining where and why the fire started.
A pet dog and a bearded dragon were able to be saved from the fire, Pethick said.
Pho & Bubble Tea has been in business since 1994, according to the restaurant’s website, and has locations in Everett, Shoreline and Seattle’s Pioneer Square.
This story was originally published December 30, 2020 at 9:09 AM.
