Contractors started work Tuesday to dismantle the fire-ravaged Terminal Building in Fairhaven brick-by-brick to aid the search for potential victims, said Jim Hestad, co-owner of the historic structure.
A late-night fire Saturday, Dec. 16 severely damaged the building to the point that it could not be saved, he told Cascadia Daily News.
“The consensus of professionals is that the structural integrity is 100 percent compromised,” said Hestad, who has been at the building site every day since the fire. “The damage is beyond repair.”
The search of the site for victims by fire investigators Monday, Dec. 18 was limited due to the building’s unstable condition and resulted in no significant findings. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Nathaniel V. Breaux, a cafe owner in the building, was reported missing on Sunday, Dec. 17.
The property owners and their insurance company have hired Boss Construction to assist in the first stage of demolition, as they work alongside Northwest Clean Air Agency to mitigate any potential environmental concerns.
Contractors aim to remove the heavily damaged corner pieces at the top of the building before carefully removing the bricks of the 135-year-old building. The goal is to take the bricks down as far as the bottom rail of the second-story windows and then re-evaluate the situation, said Tyson Card with Boss Construction.
The short-term goal is to make it safe for investigators to conduct a thorough search of the building, Hestad said.
Breaux was confirmed missing Sunday. He was the owner of two popular businesses, Harris Avenue Cafe and The Old Independent Coffeehouse, that were housed in the Terminal Building,
Originally constructed in 1888, the structure was the oldest surviving continuously occupied commercial building in Fairhaven, according to a City of Bellingham release.
The plan is to eventually demolish the entire building, confirmed Hestad.
“We can hope to rebuild,” he added.
The brick of the historic building will not be part of any rebuild due to its age and condition. However, there will be discussions into saving the brick for historic reasons, Hestad said.
The Boss Construction team expects it to be a relatively slow day as they bring equipment onsite and conduct hazardous material testing, confirmed Card. By 9:30 a.m., workers had removed the stop sign on the corner of Harris Avenue and 11th Street as they cleared the sidewalk within a fenced-off restricted area.
The portions of the roadways adjacent to the building were closed later in the day and will remain closed to traffic during the current phase of the demolition. The sidewalks across the street from the Terminal Building will remain open to allow pedestrian access to nearby businesses, according to a news release from the City of Bellingham.
The Bellingham Fire Department will continue to maintain a presence at the site around the clock until the search of the building is successfully completed, the release stated.
Anyone with information about Breaux’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Police non-emergency number, (360) 676-6911.
This story was updated at 4:45 p.m. on Dec. 19 to include information about road closures and continued Bellingham Fire Department presence at the site.
