Business owner missing following fire that destroyed historic Fairhaven building
Mulitiple Fairhaven businesses were destroyed in an early-morning fire Sunday, and authorities have been unable to locate one person associated with the building.
Several fire engines responded to the fire just before midnight. The building is the former home of Tony’s Coffee and the current home of the Harris Avenue Cafe and the Old Independent Coffee House. Private offices above the two locations were also destroyed in the fire.
Janice Keller with the city of Bellingham confirmed Sunday night that Nathaniel V. Breaux, 39, has been reported as missing to Bellingham Police. Breaux is the owner of Harris Avenue Cafe.
The fire caused the roof and second story of the structure to collapse, preventing fire crews from conducting a full search of the building. Crews entered the structure during the fire to look for anyone who may be inside but were prevented from searching the second floor when they noticed the floor starting to sag, Bellingham Fire Chief Bill Hewett said Sunday afternoon.
“We are very worried about the brick outside of the structure falling down,” Hewett said. “We are working on getting folks up here to help sure up the exterior of the building. Until that is done we wont be able to have crews enter the building to do a thorough search of the building.”
The fire chief said Monday that crews were searching through the scene of the fire, and fire investigators have started to enter the building but are limited by collapsed sections.
“At this point the big concern is searching for any victims, so they’re in the process of looking for them right now,” Hewett said Monday. “That is our big priority for the day. ... Once we get through that then next thing is we will get started on the investigation.”
Hewett said firefighters cut holes in the building’s walls to see inside.
“We are trying to do as much as we can but without manipulating big things that might cause a shift in the building and cause it to collapse on our folks.”
Hewett said that the collapsed roof and second-story floor were holding up the brick walls of the building. With those gone, crews are concerned the walls may come down if there is too much shifting.
Fire crews first responded to the fire at 11:58 p.m. and immediately saw flames pouring out the first-floor windows and reaching up to the second floor. The first responders upgraded the severity of the incident to a two-alarm fire, which meant they called for help from other departments and brought out extra equipment.
Crews went into “defensive mode” when they stopped searching the building. Multiple ladder trucks were pouring water on the building from the roof, and multiple engine companies using deck guns on the engines to send water into the structure.
A half block of Harris Avenue and 11th Street was closed by police as a precaution, with charred wood and debris scattered in the street. The roads were reopened in full by the public works department around 2:35 p.m., according to Hewett.
While the roads have reopened, the parking lot next to the cafe is going to remain closed for the foreseeable future.
It was the oldest surviving commercial building in Fairhaven, built 135 years ago in 1888.
Crews started to get the fire under control around 3:30 a.m., and some of them were released. Although some hot spots were flaring up as late as 2:35 p.m. on Sunday.
While the roads have reopened, the parking lot next to the cafe is going to remain closed for the foreseeable future.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The city released the following response details Sunday:
▪ The original call was dispatched at 11:58 p.m. Saturday, December 16, 2023, responding with 3 engines, 1 ladder truck, 1 battalion chief, 1 medic unit, 1 EMS supervisor, for a total of 16 personnel.
▪ The first engine (E2 from Station 2 on Harris Street) on scene arrived at 12:02 a.m. Sunday, December 17, 2023.
▪ The first engine company to arrive reported heavy fire from the front of the Harris Avenue Café with fire extending out the front windows and up to the second story.
▪ Crews attempted to enter the building to search for occupants and extinguish the fire but were quickly forced to withdraw as the second floor was starting to sag and they feared it would collapse.
▪ Based on the initial reports, a second alarm was called, responding with an additional 4 engines, 1 ladder truck, and an additional medic unit, for a total of 17 more personnel.
▪ Crews used multiple ladder trucks, ground monitors and hose lines to apply water from the outside, at one point flowing in excess of 5,000 gallons per minute.
▪ During the firefight crews were also continually checking on neighboring businesses to ensure the fire was not spreading beyond the original building.
▪ 2 additional engines were dispatched around 2 a.m. to provide additional support, for a total of 6 more personnel.
▪ The fire was determined to be under control by around 3:30 a.m. and some fire suppression crews were released.
▪ By 6 a.m. the fire had been extinguished and all suppression crews were released from the scene.
Hewett said in addition to fire crews from Bellingham Fire, South Whatcom Fire Authority, North Whatcom Fire and Rescue, and Whatcom County Fire District 7, support was provided by Bellingham Police Department to help with street closures and Bellingham Public Works to help manage the storm water runoff from the fire attack.
