Squatter suspected in fire that destroyed abandoned garage in Bellingham
A garage or shop behind an abandoned house in Bellingham’s Cornwall neighborhood was destroyed by a fire that is believed to have been started by a lantern lit by a Whatcom County man staying there without permission and who was trying to warm up.
The Bellingham Police Department has referred Travis C. Montgomery, 43 of Blaine, to the Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for arrest on suspicion of first-degree reckless burning, first-degree malicious mischief, reckless endangerment and first-degree trespassing, Lt. Claudia Murphy told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
The Bellingham Fire Department was called to the 3700 block of Beal Street at 9:19 p.m. Feb. 17, according to the PulsePoint app. The initial call was made after a man, who police later identified as Montgomery, alerted neighbors to the fire and they called 911.
About three minutes later, police also were sent to the scene after a neighbor reported hearing loud noises but was unable to tell whether they were gunshots or not, Murphy reported. Officers were able to determine the loud noises were likely caused by propane tanks.
Firefighters immediately went into defensive mode upon arrival, fire department spokesperson Dustin Michaelis told The Herald, fighting flames from outside the structure with heavy amounts of water.
Though the fire did not spread to the abandoned house, Michaelis said the garage or shop was a total loss.
Officers spoke to Montgomery at the scene and determined that he was staying in the abandoned garage without permission, Murphy reported. Montgomery got cold and attempted to light a lantern he was unfamiliar with, and it expanded and caught fire, according to Murphy.
The fire caused an estimated $5,000 in damage, Murphy reported.
Montgomery was cooperative during the investigation, according to Murphy, and due to booking restrictions at the Whatcom County Jail, he was booked and released.
