The Bellingham Fire Department has not yet concluded their investigation into what caused the devastating Whatcom Middle School fire that occurred in the early morning hours of November 5, 2009.

The fire resulted in approximately $20,000,000 in building and contents loss and significant disruption for students, parents, faculty and staff.

The Bellingham Fire Department has not yet concluded their investigation into what caused the devastating Whatcom Middle School fire that occurred in the early morning hours of November 5, 2009.

The fire resulted in approximately $20,000,000 in building and contents loss and significant disruption for students, parents, faculty and staff.

The Bellingham Fire Department formed an Investigative Taskforce which included members from Bellingham Fire Department, Bellingham Police Department, North Whatcom Fire & Rescue Services, Whatcom County Fire Marshal’s Office, and forensic fire experts under contract with insurance companies for the school district and construction contractor. This Taskforce conducted the interviews, initial assessment and investigation in the weeks following the event. Observations from witnesses and first arriving firefighters, and the pattern of fire damage revealed the second floor library roof area as the area of origin. The fire appears to have started in an area between the roof and the second floor ceiling.

"Due to the damage suffered by the community we wanted to be as thorough as possible. The size of the building and the large area of fire damage required significant time and effort by all involved agencies to get it right", noted Bellingham Fire Department Division Chief Jason Napier. "We appreciate the support and cooperation of the Taskforce members". The local investigation effort alone involved approximately more than 200 hours, involving 9 public investigators.

At this time, the cause of the fire remains officially undetermined until forensic examinations of the building's electrical and structural components from the area of origin are concluded. Investigators continue to use the process of elimination in an attempt to rule out as many ignition sources as possible.