Two fires happened nearby. A firefighter was injured in 1, police investigating the other
Two fires burned this week in stores near each other at the same Columbia neighborhood shopping center — one that injured a firefighter and another that is being investigated by police.
The two fires were not related, said Capt. Dustin Michaelis, spokesman for the Fire Department.
A Bellingham firefighter was hurt in a 2:45 p.m. Thursday fire at 3086 Northwest Ave., a shopping center just south of Birchwood Avenue, Michaelis told The Bellingham Herald in an interview.
He said the firefighter went by ambulance “for evaluation” at St. Joseph Medical Center, but that no information was available about the firefighter’s age, gender or the nature of their injury.
Thursday’s fire was reported by staff or customers at the nearby Mi Rancho bakery and meat market, Michaelis said.
“(They) smelled smoke and saw smoke coming from the unit,” he said.
That fire was limited to a single unit, which contained car parts and was apparently being used for storage, he said.
Firefighters found a small fire and put it out quickly, he said.
Several fire investigators were sent, but its cause and a damage estimate weren’t immediately known.
Two-alarm fire Saturday
Meanwhile, a two-alarm blaze at 9 a.m. Saturday damaged 5 Kings, a retail clothing store in the same shopping center, Michaelis said.
That fire is being investigated by the Bellingham Police Department, he said.
Police didn’t immediately respond to questions about the fire’s cause, including whether it was arson.
“Because of the heavy fuel load, we couldn’t get inside very far for fire attack,” Michaelis said.
Firefighters cut holes in the store’s roof to vent smoke and heat, he said.
Damage from smoke, heat and water was contained to the unit that housed 5 Kings, but a loss value wasn’t immediately known, he said.
This story was originally published July 21, 2023 at 9:05 AM.
