Bellingham (WA) AT 3:52 a.m. the Bellingham Police and Fire Departments responded to a vehicle fire in the parking lot at 2000 B Street, which is the next block east of the Bellingham Municipal Court building. Personnel arrived to find one City of Bellingham owned truck fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters extinguished the fire but the vehicle, a 2012 Chevrolet Colorado ½ ton assigned to Public Works Engineering, was destroyed.
Responders noted that 5 more similar trucks in this city owned parking lot had indications that a fire had been started on them. The gas cap access door on each of the 5 trucks was open and some type of item had been inserted into the gas tank filler tube and lit on fire. Each truck had at least minor burn marks around the gas filling area.
Replacing the destroyed truck will cost the city, which is self-insured, approximately $30,000. The other 5 trucks, which were all similar in age, make and model will required repairs that will be completed at the city shop.
There is much work to be done to resolve this investigation. Our Crime Scene Investigators are gathering all pertinent evidence. Our officers and detectives will be, amongst other tasks, canvassing the neighborhood for any potential witnesses.
We ask that anyone who has information related to this egregious act contact Detective Queen of our Investigations Division at 360-778-8752. Alternately you may call our tip-line at 360-778-8611, or online at www.cob.org/tips.
The attached photos are of the totally destroyed truck, a truck with partial damage and a map of the location where the arsons occurred (the parking lot with the star in it):
