Bellingham’s Michaels store closed for now. Here’s what the fire department found
A fire in a cardboard compactor Saturday morning behind the Michaels crafts store in Bellingham caused heavy smoke damage in the store, but it’s not known if the fire resulted in the store being closed or how long that closure will last.
Social media this week has been filled with photos and questions about the store’s status after signs saying it would be closed until further notice were hung in windows of the store along Meridian Street.
The Bellingham Herald attempted to contact Michaels corporate office, but messages were not returned. A message left on the phone line of the Bellingham store also says that it is “closed until further notice.”
A sign in the window reads: “We miss our wonderful customers! We can’t wait to see you again!”
The Bellingham Fire Department was called to the store shortly before 8 a.m. Oct. 23 for a report of smoke coming from a compactor, Captain Dave Pethick told The Herald in an email.
Crews from the Deemer Road station found smoke showing from the large cardboard compactor, which was located close to the building to allow it to be used from inside, Pethick reported.
Because of its proximity to the building, firefighters also found smoke inside the store, according to Pethick. While firefighters attempted to clear the smoke from the building, Engine 69 from North Whatcom Fire and Rescue used a chain to pull the compactor away from the building.
“There was significant smoke damage to the contents of the store,” Pethick wrote, adding that there were no injuries as a result of the fire.
Michaels moved to its current location at 4383 Meridian St. in 2004, according to The Herald’s archives, after it was previously located further south along Meridian in the building now occupied by Northwest Laboratory.
—Dave Gallagher (dgallagher@bhamherald.com) contributed to this story.
This story was originally published October 28, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
