An 80-year-old man died after a basement fire on N. Forest Street in Bellingham. Three other residents escaped safely after smoke alarms sounded. (Photo: Bellingham Fire Department)
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Smoke alarms cut through a quiet block of N. Forest Street early Wednesday morning, waking neighbors just in time to get out. By the time firefighters could clear the basement below them, an 80-year-old man could not be saved.
Bellingham Fire Department crews responded to the four-unit home in the 300 block of N. Forest Street and found smoke pouring from the basement. Three residents escaped safely. One resident, an 80-year-old man, died.
“This incident is a tragic reminder of the importance of working smoke alarms.”
Bellingham Fire Department
Smoke alarms give residents time to escape
Engine 3 arrived first and found smoke coming from the basement. Outside, several people were already trying to reach the basement themselves and told firefighters that someone remained inside.
Sounding smoke alarms had already alerted residents in the upstairs units. As a result, they were able to wake others in the building and help them evacuate safely.
Crews find victim unresponsive in basement
Firefighters quickly entered the home and located an 80-year-old man in the basement. He was unconscious and not breathing.
Crews removed him from the building, and paramedics immediately began life-saving care. Despite their efforts, he did not survive.
Fire contained to basement unit
Crews extinguished the fire and contained it to the basement unit. Consequently, the blaze never spread to the rest of the home.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Bellingham Fire Department has not released the victim’s name.
In a statement, the department said its thoughts are with the man’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.
A reminder about working smoke alarms
Bellingham Fire Department called the fire a tragic reminder of why working smoke alarms matter. In this case, sounding alarms alerted residents early, giving them time to wake others, evacuate the building and call 911.
That early notification, the department said, gives residents critical time to reach safety and allows firefighters to respond as quickly as possible.
PNW Daily will update this story if Bellingham Fire Department releases additional information.
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