Bellingham fire officials Sunday afternoon continued to assess possible causes of an overnight fire that gutted Fairhaven’s historic Terminal Building.
First responders were dispatched to the scene of the two-alarm fire just before midnight Saturday, Dec. 16, according to Pulse Point.
The brick shell of the building, long housing Tony’s Coffee and recently the Old Independent Coffee Shop, Harris Avenue Cafe and various offices, became a community gathering place Sunday as residents lamented the loss of a city landmark.
Shortly after noon Sunday, Mayor Seth Fleetwood was assessing the damage from across Harris Avenue. Fleetwood moved his law office out of the building in 2020, after he became mayor. He said he worked there every day for 25 years.
“It’s still sinking in,” Fleetwood said. “It’s just devastating … It was the heart of Fairhaven. It’s really, really sad.”
The 134-year-old building, on the corner of Harris Avenue and 11th Street, is the oldest continuously occupied commercial building in Fairhaven.
A half-block of Harris Avenue and 11th Street are closed due to the risk of building collapse, Bellingham Fire investigator Shawn Linville said Sunday morning.
Fencing was erected around the premises to protect the public from a potential building collapse, Bellingham Fire Chief Bill Hewett said.
“Our number one priority is to get the building stabilized so we can get in and conduct a thorough search,” Hewett said.
Until it is safe for the team to penetrate deeper into the structure, it won’t be possible to determine the cause of the fire. Police and fire officials have yet to confirm if any injuries occurred.
Hewett confirmed that the property owner has contacted their insurance and a team is being mobilized to shore up the structural concerns. They are anticipated to arrive as soon as today.
The fire chief expects the fencing, which encompasses parking alongside the building, to remain in place for weeks. However, the plan is to be able to open roadways by the end of the day.
Brian Westerman, a fire inspector with the Bellingham Fire Department, said Sunday morning a “preliminary assessment is that it’s (the building is) unstable.”
The investigation could take several days, he added.
Early Sunday morning, the core business district in Fairhaven smelled strongly of smoke as the fire crew and Bellingham Police Department assessed the building’s interior using drones.
Community members and nearby business owners continue to gather in the area to mourn the loss of the neighborhood landmark. Observers of the scene said they feel sad because the building’s studs are blackened and it looks as if the building’s brick structure may not be able to be saved.
Sherry Schmidt, who lives just down the road, became aware of the fire when her living room filled up with the red lights of emergency vehicles. She said she spent most of the night watching Bellingham firefighters battle the blaze.
Schimdt, who moved to Fairhaven from Maui about a year ago, spoke about how treasured The Old Independent Coffeehouse and Harris Avenue Cafe were to the community.
“It’s very very sad because it’s one of our oldest buildings and we don’t want it to be replaced by condos or another pay-for parking lot,” Schmidt said.
Wendy Olinger was working an overnight shift as a caregiver in an apartment above 1147 11th St. around 11:45 p.m. Saturday when she heard a man on the street shouting, “Get out of the building! There’s a fire.”
At least five fire trucks arrived to douse the blaze, Olinger said.
Acme Valley Ice Cream Cafe, across the street from the Terminal Building, opened its doors one hour late because the interior smelled like smoke.
Dirty Dan Harris Steakhouse posted on its Facebook early Sunday, “Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will be closed until further notice.”
The restaurant suffered some smoke and water damage — flooding in the basement — but appears to have been well protected from the blaze, Hewett said.
Conner Johnsen, manager of Fairhaven Runners & Walkers — next door to Dirty Dan’s — said the store smells like smoke inside. Fans are blowing at the open doors to help clear the smell. Johnsen said he feels the business was lucky not to be significantly impacted by the fire.
“A huge thanks to Bellingham fire for doing a great job,” he said.
Fairhaven Runners and Walkers opened on time today.
“It’s a busy time of year, we’re in the holiday season,” Johnsen said. “We’re just clicking along like we probably would any other Sunday a week and half before Christmas.”
Sam Sigl, a Fairhaven resident who visited the scene Sunday morning with his partner, said he heard about the fire from his dad, a regular at The Old Independent.
“It’s pretty sad,” Sigl said. “It’s definitely a Fairhaven staple. We’re sad to see it’s gone.”
Resident neighbor Esther Stewart said she was woken up by sirens late Saturday night and she saw two ladder trucks on 11th Street fighting the fire from above the building. “There were some tears flowing from different people on the street. It was sad,” she said.
Stewart and her son visited the coffee shop on Saturday. Today, Stewart told her son, “You probably got one of the last gingerbread lattes they ever made.”
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
CDN staff members Rhonda Prast, Ralph Schwartz, Jaya Flanary, Audra Anderson and Isaac Stone Simonelli contributed to this report.
This story was updated at 1:16 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17 to correct the address where Wendy Olinger was working when she was alerted about the fire. Cascadia Daily News regrets the error.
