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Active structure fire in the 1500 block of Lincoln. Crews just arriving. Please avoid the area.
Fire extinguished bu sprinkler system. Crews working on clearing out smoke. No injuries.
Crews on scene at Burlington Store - 4131 Meridian for a. fire in the store.
Crews have cleared. Heavy traffic should be expected in the area. It’s WET out there. Please slow down and increase your following distance.
Please stay safe this 4th of July! Attend local professional fireworks displays and remember, fireworks are illegal in the City of Bellingham.
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#bellinghamfiredepartment #fireworks #illegal #bellingham #fireworkdisplay #keepkidssafe
Yesterday, we had a pinning ceremony for four of our most recent promotions. First, Scott Hansen was promoted to Battalion Chief. Chief Hansen has been with us since March of 1999 and has been a Fire Captain since 2012. Chief Hansen has a wide range of skills that will be instrumental in his newly promoted position.
Next, we have three Fire Captain promotions. Captain Aaron Wolven was hired in January of 2007 and has been a Paramedic since 2009. He has spent time as a Community Paramedic, Paramedic Preceptor, and spent time in the Tactical EMS program. Captain Wolven’s connections with the community and experience as a Paramedic will be an asset in his new role as Fire Captain.
The second Fire Captain promotion is Ryan Heerspink. Ryan was also hired in January of 2007. He has been a Driver/Operator for the past six years, with a few of those years spent on our Ladder Truck. He has been involved with several committees, including Honor Guard, Extrication Training, and a member of the Apparatus Operations group. Captain Heerspink has various experience that will bode well in his new position as Fire Captain.
Lastly, we have Fire Captain Dustin Michaelis. Dustin was hired in August of 2015. He has been a Driver/Operator since 2020. He has experience as a Fire Lieutenant at another local fire department, worked as a Fire Inspector with the Whatcom County Fire Marshal’s Office, and has been our Public Information Officer for the past two years. Captain Michaelis' leadership and communications experience are an asset to our department.
Congrats to these four on their promotions! We celebrate their dedication to the Fire service and their community.
A very busy early morning for our crews. At approximately 3:30am, we were dispatched to a shed on fire in the 2100 block of King Street, in the alley. Our crews quickly extinguished the fire and just after 4am they were then dispatched to another shed fire in the 2300 block of King Street. Both fires appeared to be intentionally set from the exterior of the buildings. A third fire was attempted in between those two addresses. BPD assisted with their K-9 unit, but were unable to locate any individuals responsible. Those fires are believed to be connected and are being investigated. No injuries were sustained in either fire.
Just after 6am, we were dispatched to a structure fire in the 3400 block of Northwest Ave with someone trapped inside. Our crews made entry to the building within minutes of receiving the alarm. The first arriving unit found and retrieved one patient from inside the building. That individual was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. Crews remained on scene to extinguish the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Bellingham Fire Department is honored to announce the retirement of Battalion Chief Cary Gustafson after 41 and half years in the fire service and 38 years of dedicated service to the citizens of Bellingham. Chief Gustafson worked his last shift on June 23rd and today we celebrate his distinguished career.
Chief Gustafson is a home-grown kid and attended Bellingham High School, Western Washington University, Bates Vocational Technical, and received his Fire Science degree from Edmonds Community College. Cary’s first taste of the fire service came when he worked as a Wildland firefighter with the Washington State DNR back in 1978. By 1980, Cary began as a Resident Volunteer Firefighter with the Federal Way Fire Department and was hired in his first full-time firefighting position with Federal Way in 1981. Missing his hometown, Cary decided to apply with Bellingham and in 1984 he was hired.
Cary held various positions at the department, including Paramedic for 12 years, Fire Captain for 17 years, Hazardous Materials Team Member for 18 years, and most recently Battalion Chief for the past 8 years. In addition to those positions, he served as the IAFF Local 106 President from 1992-1996 and was an adjunct Fire Instructor at Skagit Valley Community College for 10 years.
Chief Gustafson said that what he appreciated the most about the job was being able to help others during some of the most critical and stressful times in people’s lives. For retirement, Cary plans on finishing up on projects, traveling, and volunteering – but not firefighting. While we are honored to announce his retirement, he will be missed greatly. Congratulations, Chief Gustafson and enjoy retirement!
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