Someone damaged Bellingham’s new pier; city officials suspect fireworks
Visitors are being asked to use caution at Little Squalicum Pier after its decking was damaged last weekend, apparently by fireworks.
No one was arrested in the incident, which is believed to have happened Saturday night. Photos posted on social media showed part of the pier deck scorched and melted, as if by an explosion or fire.
“The city is assessing the damage to the pier and working with a contractor to schedule repairs. The pier may be partially or entirely closed during this work. We’ll provide more information as it’s available,” city spokesman David Brauhn told The Herald.
Both the Bellingham Police Department and the Whatcom Couty Sheriffs Office received calls about gunshots or fireworks just before midnight Saturday and early Sunday morning, Brauhn said in an email.
The park is part of the Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department but is just outside the northwest city limits, which prompted a response from both agencies.
Little Squalicum Pier opened in April and has been a popular destination for its sweeping views of Bellingham Bay.
Built in 1912 for a cement factory, it carried railroad cars filled with processed cement products to barges for shipping. Operations ended in the 1980s, and the pier fell into disrepair.
The city bought and remodeled the 14-foot-wide pier into a 1,200-foot walking and bike path using $4.5 million in Greenways levy funds, park impact fees and grants.
