Morning fire on James Street burns apartment building; those inside escaped

At least two apartments on James Street near the Interstate 5 exit at Lakeway were scorched in a Friday morning fire.

Bellingham Fire Department and Bellingham Police Department responded to a residential fire around 11 a.m. June 13 at the 1400 block of James Street. Crews put out the fire in about 30 minutes.

One person was rescued from a second-story balcony, who left the scene. Another person jumped from a second-story window. That individual and another were transported to the hospital, said Dustin Michaelis, of BFD.

Reporters on scene witnessed two apartments smoking and charred, with broken glass windows and melted patio furniture. At least two more apartments are in the building. Fire alarms could be heard blaring in the two-floor building.

Bellingham firefighters get hosed down after battling an apartment building fire. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)

Neighbor Neil Marks, 38, said he had heard his dogs barking and assumed someone was at the door. Instead, when he looked out his window, the ground-floor apartment next to his house was in flames.

“I called 911 and grabbed my fire extinguisher,” he said, adding he sprayed down trees overhanging in the backyard and alley to make sure flames didn’t jump.

Neighbor Lexi Kok, 35, said she saw multiple fire trucks and ran into a friend who is a firefighter when they were notified the building was on fire. She knows at least one man who lives in the building.

“I came over to see if he was OK, but he was clearly not home,” she said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back later for more.

Chris and Neal Marks watch and record as firefighters battle an apartment building fire next door. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)

Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at [email protected]; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.