Business owner still missing as crews search burned building in Fairhaven neighborhood
One person remained unaccounted for Monday evening after a fire destroyed the historic Fairhaven Terminal Building in Bellingham over the weekend.
Bellingham Police confirmed Nathaniel V. Breaux, 39, is listed as a missing person in connection with the fire, according to a City of Bellingham news release.
Anyone with information about Breaux’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Bellingham Police Department non-emergency number, (360) 676-6911.
Harris Avenue was closed Tuesday morning to vehicle traffic between 11th Street and 12th Street.
A makeshift memorial with flowers also started forming at the site of the fire Tuesday morning.
Crews put out the fire in the early morning hours of Sunday, Dec. 17, and entered the building on Monday “after consulting with structural engineers and the City’s Building Services staff,” the release states.
Investigators were able to conduct a partial search of portions of the first floor of the building but did not locate any victims. Several areas could not be searched as crews were unable to move any large debris in the building, due to concerns about continued instability, the release states.
Bellingham Fire Chief Bill Hewett said agencies are working with the building’s owner and insurance company to bring in equipment that can remove some of the building’s exterior walls and allow for a more thorough search inside.
Bellingham Fire and Police remained at the scene into Tuesday as the investigation continued.
This story was originally published December 19, 2023 at 12:30 PM.
