A fire was discovered in the building yesterday but the owners were able to put it out before it did any damage. But a second fire in the morning hours today left the building a smoldering pile of rubble.
Whatcom County Fire District 7 and North Whatcom Fire units responded to a structure fire in the 6000 block of Northwest Drive about 5:45am today. According to WCFD7 Division Chief Ben Boyko, the pole building was fully involved so they took up a defensive position. Units remained on the scene putting out hot spots for several hours after the initial call. A fifth-wheel trailer immediately adjacent to the building was also involved and considered a total loss.
Owners Bill and Mary Lou Roessel told Discover Ferndale they are convinced this is the work of an arsonist.
The Roessels said they had discovered a suspicious fire on the floor of the building yesterday and were able to put it out themselves. They called the Whatcom County Fire Marshal’s office to report their concerns but were only able to leave a voicemail and did not hear back. Fearful after the earlier fire, it was hard to sleep and they kept a diligent watch as long as they could, Mary Lou told Discover Ferndale.
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Click for more informationThe building was rented out as a storage facility. One tenant, Juan & Family Auto Sales at 6089 Portal Way, used it to store their overflow vehicle inventory. There were four cars in the building at the time. All were considered total losses.
Juan Torres, owner of the auto dealership, said he had received text messages yesterday he believed to be a threat from a third-party. He was certain the fire was the result of those threats.
The fifth-wheel trailer had just been renovated and was to be used to provide housing for a homeless elderly woman according to the Roessels.
Boyko said he contacted the Fire Marshal’s office and an investigator was expected to arrive after 8am.
UPDATE 4pm
The Whatcom County Fire Marshal’s office told Discover Ferndale the fire is under investigation so no information is available. They also advise the community to call 9-1-1 whenever there is an urgent concern or an emergency.