Arson suspect in Whatcom home fire was cited for reckless burning one day earlier
A day after being cited in Bellingham for starting a small fire outside a Meridian business, a man is believed to have intentionally started another fire west of Lynden that damaged a house and shed.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office booked James Raymond Blum, 48, into jail Friday, Feb. 7, on charges including first-degree arson, and jail records show he is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
At approximately 4:06 p.m., deputies were sent to the 8000 block of Berthusen Road for the report of a transient man banging on the door of a home, according to the probable cause statement provided to The Bellingham Herald by Chief Deputy Kevin Hester.
According to the statement:
▪ The victim reported she was in her car with the doors locked when Blum struck her car and began yelling at her.
▪ Blum then left and started pounding on the front door of her house, before going around to the back.
▪ When deputies arrived, they found Blum behind the house and detained him and then discovered an outdoor shed and a side of the house were on fire.
▪ James reportedly admitted to starting the fire, which caused approximately $15,000 in damage.
▪ Deputies found multiple handprints on the glass and screen door. There also was a round imprint of powdered concrete on the outside of another window that appeared it may have been caused by Blum throwing a round decorative concrete stone at the window in an attempt to smash it.
On Thursday, Feb. 6, Bellingham police cited Blum for reckless burning after he allegedly used a phone book and matches to start a fire early Thursday outside a business near the intersection of Meridian Street and Bakerview Road. He was later found trespassing inside a nearby storage facility and was cited for that, as well.
