Portage Island fire burns 4 acres in under 24 hours; watch crews at work
A brush fire at Portage Island in Whatcom County burned through 4.2 acres in less than a day.
Crews from the Bellingham Fire Department responded late Sunday, July 6. Fire suppression efforts have since been turned over to the state Department of Natural Resources, according to the Watch Duty app, which draws information from fire dispatch centers in the Northwest.
The fire is visible from shoreline areas around Bellingham, and smoke is likely throughout Monday as a result of the fire, according to a social media post from the Bellingham Fire Department.
Portage Island is 1.5 miles in size and has no permanent residents. It is part of Lummi Nation property, along with surrounding tidal flats.
This story was originally published July 7, 2025 at 2:34 PM.
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