BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Search crews found a body inside the Fairhaven Terminal Building, which was damaged in a fire on Dec. 16, according to the City of Bellingham.
The Whatcom County Medical Examiner will release the person's identity once available.
Bellingham Fire Chief Bill Hewett said the investigation team was able to re-enter the building on Saturday, Dec. 23 to remove additional debris resulting from the fire. On Tuesday, crews found a deceased person inside the 135-year-old building, located at 1101 Harris Avenue in the city's Fairhaven neighborhood.
The Whatcom County Medical Examiner responded to the scene and while investigators made preliminary identification of the person, confirmation will come from the medical examiner's office, according to a news release.
Hewett said the investigation team is continuing to search the building to determine the how and where the fire began.
“Methodical, time-consuming processes to safely search the building, locate and identify any victims, and determine the cause of the fire are necessary but understandably difficult for everyone involved,” Hewett said. “We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding. The protocols followed in these circumstances protect the safety of search teams and the public, preserve the sanctity of the scene for the ongoing investigation, and provide as much compassion to family members as possible during this difficult time.”
One man remains missing in connection to the fire. Nate Breaux, 39, was believed to be in the building, his loved ones told KING 5. Breaux owned the beloved Harris Avenue Café, housed inside the Fairhaven Terminal Building along with Fairhaven's Old Independent Coffee House.
Breaux's family said on the night of the fire, he had catered a party for a group of Western Washington University graduates and was working late.
"Unfortunately, given what we know about the timeline of his night, it is presumed that Nate was in the building when the fire started, and we expect his body to be recovered in the coming days. We are utterly devastated to share this news," a family spokesperson wrote in a statement last week. "He wanted nothing more than for the café to be a place for the community to come together and enjoy a warm atmosphere and good food in a beautiful historic building that held decades of memories. Given the outpouring of community support over the past week, we find comfort in knowing that he achieved this goal."
At least 46 people who worked in the café, coffee house, and upstairs offices are displaced, including staff at adjacent Dirty Dan's Steakhouse, which was also damaged in the fire.